How much did Neech remark cost Congress in Gujarat elections

Just about time when the Congress looked like building a momentum to cash on in elections, Mani Shankar Aiyar dropped a bomb by calling Modi "Neech" (lowly).

Most exit polls had predicted an outright win for the BJP in Gujarat assembly elections 2017, the saffron party is indeed heading for a victory, but the battle was close.

So close was the contest initially that around 9 am, the Congress was in fact ahead of the BJP, but that trend reversed in the next half and hour.

Congress' strategy seemed well thought out. It got Patidars on its side, efficiently raked up ill-effects of demonetisation and GST, and it all did seem to strike a chord with the voters, especially among the traders in Surat region

Just about the time when the Congress looked like building a momentum to cash on in elections, Mani Shankar Aiyar dropped a bomb by calling Modi "Neech" (lowly). Congress immediately realised that they would have to pay a huge price for Aiyar's blunder and suspended him from party's primary leadership.

But by this time, BJP pounced on the Congress using this issues. Modi left no stone unturned to launch a blistering attack on Congress over "Neech" remark. He linked it with caste, he linked it with poverty and most importantly he described it as an attack on Gujarati Asmita or Gujarati pride.

Modi turned Aiyar's foolhardy remark to his advantage and appealed to voters to answer the Congress for it in polls. One has to keep in mind that Gujaratis are very proud of the fact that a Gujarati is the Prime Minister and would never tolerate such derogatory remarks against him.

All the attention from GST, demonatisation and the Patidar issue shifted to Aiyar's remark and that benefited the BJP a great deal.

OneIndia News