In BJP sweep of industrial belt, 2 car zones prove an exception
The development plank Chief Minister Narendra Modi was banking on appears to have worked for the BJP in most seats in the industrial belt, but losses in Sanand and Viramgam — home to Tata Nano and Maruti Suzuki car projects — proved surprising exceptions to the trend.
The BJP has largely gained in Assembly constituencies falling under industrial zones that saw high-profile investments during the last one decade. Some of these zones fall under Kutch, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Surat, Bhavnagar, Patan and Surendranagar districts.
An Assocham study published in April 2011 said that 70 per cent of the 1,445 live investment projects (worth Rs 13.4 lakh crore) in Gujarat were concentrated in the six districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Surat and Bhavnagar, and most of the constituencies in these districts went to the BJP. “In these six districts, people have definitely felt a growth in their assets. The voters in these regions are seeing development happening and have equated the rise in their assets to the growth of the region,” said Bhagyesh Soneji, chairperson (Gujarat Council) of Assocham.
However, the BJP’s loss in Sanand (a new constituency created after delimitation), marketed as the country’s emerging automobile hub, has surprised many. “It is very surprising that the BJP has lost in this constituency. The loss gives the BJP reason enough to introspect if the fruits of development are reaching the people,” said Soneji about the region which has been the epicentre of development activities since Tata decided to shift its Nano plant to
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