In Christian Belt, Faith in Pawar May Pull the Votes, not Religion or Origin

Satyajit JOSHI & M.S. Khedkar,
The Indian Express

When Sharad Pawar parted ways with the Congress after questioning Sonia Gandhi’s origins, the sizeable Christian Community of Ahmednagar district, where missionaries first landed in Maharashtra in the last century, watched with some degree of trepidation.

Having traditionally voted for the Congress, they knew they would soon be wooed by the Congress in the name of Sonia and the NCP which will remind them that Pawar has always been their leader. And that is exactly what is happening now because both parties realize that the large number of Christians in the district can influence the poll outcome.

For most Christian voters here, the issue of Sonia’s foreign origin is irrelevant. Yet the NCP is not disturbed because Pawar’s men know that local political compulsions can overcome any sentimental invocation.

Ahmednagar first caught the eye of the missionaries because it was backward and drought-prone. St Hume Memorial Church, the first church in Maharashtra outside the Mumbai belt, was set up in Ahmednagar City in 1833. All 13 tehsils of the district today have sizeable Christian votes.

Many Christians believe that the chances of the Congress candidates in the district will not improve simply because Sonia Gandhi is now at the helm and is spearheading the party campaign. Rev AQ Salvi of Wadala Mission, which runs a hospital at Wadala on the Pune-Aurangabad Road, says he does not find "any special feeling" among the Christians for Sonia Gandhi. "Her Christianity is not an election factor. What may however, influence the decision of the Christians will be the attacks on churches in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa," he says. He says it matters little whether Sonia has a foreign origin because "she is not an issue for us". Young Bablu Patekar agrees with Rev Salvi.

There are still others who say the voting trend would depend on how big or small a factor Pawar is today. Father Andrew Jadhav of Christ Niwas, Ghodegaon, says the Christians will accept the decision of the voters no matter what the outcome is. He says the Christians in the region share a good rapport with even the BJP and Sena workers and many of them respect Atal Behari Vajpayee as an individual.

Father Jadhav, however, believes that the split in the Congress will lead to a division of Christian votes. He says it is unfair to focus on Christians alone because "all voters are exposed to all kinds of temptations" during the elections.

Father Jerome Gonsalves of Holy Spirit Church, Shevgaon, says he will not be surprised if the Christians end up voting for Pawar’s candidates since they are all known to the locals. "Sonia Gandhi’s religion or her foreign origin are not issues here because people basically know her as the widow of Rajiv Gandhi."

Others like Rev. M A Shinde bring cheer to the Congress camp. He is all for Sonia Gandhi. "Her foreign origin is not the issue since she married and Indian. Security is the most vital issue for Christians. Sonia Gandhi may get some sympathy because of her religion but it will mostly have to do with her being a member of the Gandhi family."

Father Michael Waghmare of St. Theresa Church, Haregaon, also backs Sonia Gandhi’s bid. While he appreciates Pawar’s contribution to Maharashtra, he points out that the man has defected twice from the Congress.

Pawar’s influence is restricted to Maharashtra. Christians will vote for a party and not an individual. As for Sonia’s religion, it really does not come into the picture since she married a Hindu," says Father Waghmare.

Where does Vajpayee fit? Practically nowhere, if you go by Sister Francisca of Shevgaon. "Vajpayee’s image is better than that of any other politician. But I don’t think Christians will vote for him. He is the right man in the wrong place."

So for the Christians of Ahmednagar, it all boils down to choosing between Sonia and Pawar. Some from the community have a way out of this predicament. They say let us do a balancing act. Vote the Sonia Congress for the Lok Sabha and send Pawar’s party to the Assembly. It is to be seen just how many buy this suggestion.