Ex-BJP minister Jaynarayan Vyas' defeat in Gujarat assembly elections is the "defeat of development"... and of Sidhpur

Courtesy: Facebook timeline of Kamal Khokhani

Counterview Desk
Reproduced below is Facebook post by Kamal Khokhani, managing director, Akar Sakarr, into the business of infomedia and publications, on the defeat of Jay Narayan Vyas, former senior BJP minister, who has shuttled from between a rebel and a Modi protégé. Vyas’s defeat by nearly 17,000 votes acquires significance, as he is no saffron background to his credit, and is known to be one of the best intellectuals in the BJP has, who can talk incisively on economic and developmental issues…
It is not YOUR defeat, it's the defeat of Sidhpur and the defeat of it's development...

Perhaps, voters of Sidhpur have not heard this phrase or, they have heard it but they don't want to take any cognizance of it...
This is the hard (and a bit bitter) statement, which came to my mind, the moment I heard about the defeat of Dr Jay Narayan Vyas from Sidhpur constituency , yesterday. It came out of sheer anguish... Let me explain, why I made this tough statement...
I went to Sidhpur for the first time in 1990, when Jay Narayan bhai was fighting his first assembly election from Sidhpur. It was, in those days, a dusty town, without basic amenities like education, infrastructure, recreational, healthcare and so on. In short, it was a 'large village', that's all! If we talk about the villages of the constituency, situation was worst. There was no road connectivity. Almost 90 percent villages were unapproachable in monsoon! Facilities like healthcare, education, water supply etc were almost distant dreams in these villages! I still remember seeing Jay Narayanbhai covered with dust all over, at the end of each campaign day, thanks to the absence of pucca roads!
After he got elected for the first time in 1990, he has left no stone unturned for 'transformation' of this constituency in last about 27 years, despite the fact that he lost two terms, in between. He concentrated on development of the area with a missionary zeal...
As you might have observed, I have used the word 'transformation' in earlier para deliberately, instead of merely 'development' or the much debated word - 'vikas'...
Because, when I visited Sidhpur for 2017 election almost after 27 years, I was simply amazed to see the transformation of this once dusty town!
I could see railway overbridge, flyover under construction, drinking water supply, drainage facility, cancer hospital, eye hospital, dialysis centre, dental hospital, state of the art civil hospital, homeopathy and ayurveda treatment facilities, dental college, nursing college, hotel management institute, Bindu Sarovar makeover, Shri Sthal Museum, modern library, renovated Vateshwar Mahadev Temple, Sidharth Mahadev, Goga Bapji Temple, Sainth Temple, Gayatri Temple, number of bore wells, number of health centres, town hall, sports complex and so on. Mind well, these are only a few landmarks! There are innumerable works he has done, which in totality, have transformed Sidhpur Constituency...
With this very loooooong list of development works, according to me, he was bound to be the unquestioned and consensus winner in 2017 election, to represent Sidhpur in Gujarat Assembly. I could see any number of villagers, assuring him of his victory!
But the results turned out to be disgusting and disappointing. Dr. Jay Narayan Vyas, despite all his untiring and relentless efforts for development, got defeated in this election!
Unfortunately, Sidhpur has given brickbats to their true representative, instead of bouquets...
I am now confused, whether those villagers were just doing lip service or creating window dressing or the worst, creating an illusion and thereby misleading their own representative???
While thinking further, I am convinced that the voters of Sidhpur have perhaps not heard the phrase - Attitude for Gratitude...Because, they easily forgot what he has done for them and their generations, while casting their votes...
Having closely worked with him for more than 35 years, I am pained to think about the pains of this man, who has mentored me all these years, but more importantly, has nurtured this area for almost four decades...
Having accepted and seen the stark realities of life, I would only like to say that...
Dr. Vyas is NOT defeated - it is Sidhpur, which is defeated... Dr. Vyas has not lost anything but Sidhpur has lost soooooo much...
Only time will tell, what Sidhpur has lost... Only time will make their generations realise the blunder the voters have made on 14th December by defeating the man, who is true 'son of the soil' from Sidhpur...
While concluding my thoughts - my anguish, I remember Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre, the Savoyard lawyer, diplomat, writer, and philosopher and his famous quote - "Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite" which means, 'Every nation gets the government it deserves'...
I believe, Sidhpur has got someone, whom they deserve and CERTAINLY not a statesman like Dr Jay Narayan Vyas...
Let me mention here once again, even at the cost of repeatation, that Dr Jay Narayan Vyas is civil engineer with a degree in law and post graduate degree in marketing management. He is a technocrat, management expert, project consultant, scholar, analyst, economist, academician, administrator, public life functionary and a politician -- all bundled into one towering persona... He has served as cabinet minister of Gujarat in various important departments like Food & Civil Supplies, Narmada Project, Health & Family Welfare. He is one of the most articulate spokespersons of BJP!!!
Despite all these credentials and untiring work for his constituency, Sidhpur, for more than four decades, he lost in the Assembly Elections!
It is the defeat of Sidhpur!
It is the defeat of development!!
May God bless Sidhpur and the people of this thankless city, I must say...
(My sincere apologies to anyone, who might felt hurt by this mail but I thought, I must voice my anguish - my pain).

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