The BJP is keeping an eye on Gujarat for the sixth consecutive term and hopes that Saurashtra International Airport, by the end of this year, will improve the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to power in the home state.
Conceived as a development and export hub, the airport has been hailed as a game changer for the region, and the team hopes it will play the same role in Gujarat as Jawaharlal Nehru Airport in the Western Uttar Pradesh elections.
Drawing a parallel between the two airports, BJP good governance cell member Virendra Sachdeva, referring to the recent UP elections, said: In the same way, the airport will affect many seats in the region. “
Rajkot, known as the commercial capital of the Saurashtra region, could get its first major international airport by the end of this year, which will bring a large number of jobs to the region. The airport may be inaugurated during the state elections.
But could the airport be a game-changer in the home state assembly elections of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah?
“With a runway of 3,040 meters, equivalent to Mumbai or Delhi, the airport is ready to ensure better air connectivity with the Saurashtra region,” said Rajkot Collector Arun Mahesh Babu.
Unemployment is one of the major issues raised by the opposition before every Gujarat election. The upcoming international airport is ready to increase employment opportunities not only in the vicinity of Rajkot and Surendranagar, but also in about 12 districts of the Saurashtra region.
“There are going to be a lot of collaborative activities for everything from ground staff to local businesses, from food and beverages to transportation. The locals will be given vocational training and development, ”said an official.
BJP’s vote performance in Saurashtra
In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, out of 54 seats across 12 districts of Saurashtra region, 31 were won by BJP and 21 went to Congress.
Kutch has six seats, five of which went to the BJP. Surendranagar has five assembly seats, three of which went to the BJP. In Morbi, two of the three seats went to the Congress, where the BJP could get only one seat.
Rajkot has given seven out of eight seats to BJP. In Jamnagar, the BJP got three out of five seats and in Dwarka got one duck. In Porbandar, one of the two was given to BJP. In Junagadh, the BJP got two seats in the Siv. In Gir Somnath, the party has lost four seats. Amreli got one of the five seats in the district, while Bhavnagar compensated the BJP with six of the seven seats. BJP got two seats in Botad.
The party hopes to do better in the region this time around, with jobs created at the airport and the economy recovering from the Covid-19 epidemic and neutralizing any anti-incumbency factor, a senior party leader said. .
Rajkot is the fourth largest city in Gujarat, known as the center of manufacturing industry like watch parts and silk embroidery. The ceramic industry of Morbi and other industries of Jamnagar are heavily dependent on air communication.
The existing airport is in the heart of the city, but it is not able to offer flights larger than the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737-800. The new airport is located on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway and has an estimated budget of Rs 1,405 crore. It will cover a total area of 1,032 hectares and will have a runway length of 3,049 meters for large planes. The airport is scheduled to be completed by August-September 2022.
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