Money matters: BJP pips Cong in fast spend

This is a tale of two fasts: One by the high-profile chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi and the other by a struggling Congress party trying to get a foothold in the state in the run up to the assembly elections late next year.

Estimated expenses on Modi's fast in the plush air-conditioned Gujarat University convention hall is estimated to be between Rs 6 crore and Rs 20 crore. According to public relations and advertisement experts, at least Rs 5 crore was being spent on full-page advertisements published in national dailies, considering the DGIPR rates.

For the three-day rent of the convention hall, the CM will be spending around Rs 15,00,00. This apart, loads of snacks, mineral water and other eatables have been stacked for the occasion. Chartered flights are being organised to ferry BJP leaders and party office bearers from other states.

The Congress party fast have been low profile spearheaded by former union minister Shankersinh Vaghela at a site closer to the Sabarmati Asram. This will cost the party around Rs 5,00,000.

Modi, who has been marketing Gujarat at all forum as a fast developing state, has used his PR skills to get maximum publicity and media coverage for the three-day event.

Obviously, the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is wholeheartedly behind Modi, who is being projected as a strong contender for the Prime Minister's post for the 2014 parliamentary elections. Modi succeeded in making the event truly inclusive, by luring some of the NDA allies, including Akali Dal from Punjab and AIADMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha.

However, the Congress fast is being seen as a fresh attempt by the party to regain lost ground. The timing of the fast is being questioned with the Congress-led government at the Centre is under attack for the near double-digit inflation, burgeoning prices of essential commodities and multi crore scams.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Jawadekar downplayed the debate over the high expenses on the three-day fast. He told Business Standard: “Narendra bhai Modi is one of the important leaders in India and he is provided high security cover as he continues to be the target of terrorists. The site has been chosen taking into consideration this aspect, as millions are expected to visit. His fast is for unity and integrity and it is getting good support across sections of the society. The spirit is important.”

Senior leaders of BJP defended the expenditure on the three-day fast by Modi, saying the cost would be borne by the state government. “The fast of Narendra Modi is for the state’s unity and peace so the expenditure would also be paid by the state government,” said a senior BJP leader who was present at the venue of the fast.

However, the Congress party is not buying BJP's argument. B A Desai, convenor for defence and justice in Gujarat, said: “Modi's fast amounts to contempt of court for interference in the course of justice. He is sending a signal to the judicial administration not to touch him. Not a single paise must go either from the consolidated fund of India or from other state funds or from the public sector fund, as Modi's fast is purely a personal affair.”