Giant LED screens at Sardar Chowk in Morbi beam public meetings of Kantilal Amrutiya, the BJP candidate from the Morbi constituency. Frame after frame showcases the high points of his public life, including his interventions from the 1979 Machchhu dam tragedy, the 2001 earthquake and the Covid-19 pandemic. Desert coolers keep the temperature pleasant while caterers serve party workers and guests. In a makeshift room, Amrutiya discusses poll strategy with his supporters, and leaders representing the paper and ceramic industries. He is reluctant to give an interview as he does not want to speak about the recent bridge collapse. After much cajoling, he agrees to an interview on condition that no questions will be asked about the tragedy.
Amrutiya, 60, is pitted against Jayanti Patel of the Congress and Pankaj Ransariya of the AAP. Choosing Amrutiya, a former MLA from Morbi, over Brijesh Mareja, the sitting Congress MLA who switched sides, is seen as a BJP masterstroke.
But explaining the bridge collapse which happened on October 30 in which 135 people, including more than 50 children, died could prove to be a challenge. Amrutiya reached the accident spot within minutes and even jumped into the river to help the victims. While his efforts were much appreciated, he does not speak about the tragedy while campaigning, as he knows that it could hurt his chances.
Denne historien er fra December 11, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 11, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
