GUJRAT ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS: MEDIA COVERAGE

          Gujrat assembly elections :                                             media coverage

                                                                                     -AACHAL BURANDE

          

          A Gujrat assembly election was held on December 9 and December 14, 2017. Their results were scheduled to be declared today, 18^th December, 2017. Along with Gujrat, result of Himachal Pradesh assembly elections was also declared on the same day. Initially, the elections of both the states were decided to be conduct on the same date but later on Gujrat’s elections postponed in December due to internal politics. Even though, ruling patry postponded Winter session of parliament. As mentioned in Indian Constitution, there must not be gap more than of 6 months between two sessions of parliament. But it happened here and no one raised the voice against it. The elections of Gujrat was much important for the ruling party BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party)government to conquer it, as it was the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Along with that, Rahul Gandhi became the new president of INC(Indian National Congress). This election was the sieve test for him and it was more important for both the parties for their future Loksabha elections 2019.

          Moving towards our topic, how media covered this election and on what major issues did they focused on? The major points on which this election was combated are mainly Cast, religion, economics, unemployment, development (VIKAS). The major issue was of cast,that in Gujrat people are more supported to their casts leaders. So, for media Castism was the big stuff to change minds and opinions of the people. The great benefit of casts was taken by Congress to increase their seats in the poll. The PAAS(Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti) leader Hardik Patel from Rajkot West constituency challenged all farmers to oust the BJP. Most of the people belong to Patidar community are farmers. He incited them against BJP as BJP is anti-Patidar and anti-farmers. Along with Hardik, Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani from Vadagam, and OBC leader Alpesh Thankur from Radhanpur constituency are the strong leaders for this battle. This leading triad was supporting and supported by INC.

           Second major issue was covered by most of the TV channels of Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir. This the navel on which every election are being contended from 1992. Although this issue is related with two religions i.e. Hindu and Muslims. As BJP mostly supportd ‘Hindutwa’ and it is said that, one who is aginst BJP is Anti-Hindu as well as Anti-National & Congress mainly supports Muslim community. It not just a fib but there are proofs that are accepted. RSS(Rashtriya Seva Sangh) from BJP and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi both are supportive for their respected parties. On social media, HAJ and RAM messages are being viral, HAJ indicates Hardik , Alpesh & Jignesh and RAM indicated Rupani Vijay, Amit Shaha & Modi. (Who should win? Vote wisely). This kind of religious politics are played in Gujrat Battleground.

         One debate on NDTV by Ravish Kumar on Prime Time, he said that Gujrat poll has issues based on Cast VS Economics. Many channels are analising Indian Economic growth & raising various factors by GST and Demonetisation. The unemployment is increasing in state day by day. Nonthless only Gujrat but the gap between pass out students and who got jobs is being increasing steadily. Many articles speaks about the dirty tricks of RSS at length and objectives of various communities to unseat the BJP in state elections. Frontline magazine’s cover story on Gujrat elections with a heading ‘The Communal Card again’. BJP once again(like before in 2014)takes recourse to communal propaganda in a desperate bid to recapture the poll.

          Rahul Gandhi while campaigning in Saurashtra, he visited Somnath temple. After few minutes of his visit state BJP leaders launched a vitriolic communal propaganda saying he is not Hindu & proved from entries in register of temple. Rahul’s entourage consisted of non-hindu leaders like Ahmed Patel. This made easy for BJP to raise voice after the meeting held between INC leaders and Pakistan officials alleging that Pakistan involving and giving its views on election with encouraging Ahmed Patel to be future CM(Chief Minister) of Gujrat.

         Many TV channels was came up with hashtags like #Rahul_ka_Dharma_kya and #Somnathtemple on Somnath temple communal propaganda. Other neutral hashtags promoted by TV channels such as NDTV, India Today, CNNNews18 are like #Gujratelection2017, #BattlegroundGujrat, #ElectionswithNews18 & #Assemblyelections2017. But Republic TV and Times Now picked strongly opinionated hashtags like #CongNeechPolitics, #CongSlamsIndiaRise & #CongTerrorPhoto which are attempted to potray it as anti-deveopment and anti-national. After times Now’s hashtags #UPANeDeshBecha, PM Narendra Modi said in an election rally in response to it that he had sold tea but not nation.

           Today as BJP comes up with BJP-99, INC- 77 & NCP-1 in Gujrat poll and in Himachal Pradesh BJP won 44/68. After conquering both elections, PM Modiji tweeted that “results indicates people’s support toward good governance and development. I salute to the hardworking BJP karyakrtas in these states.”  

                                                                Dt.: 18^th December,2017