After more than 15 of Raje’s loyalists made it to BJP’s second list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, proving that she may be ‘systematically sidelined but not ignored,’ voters in Jhalawar district and political experts believe it could be a ‘tactical move’ to calm the situation and stop it from getting out of hand like what happened after the first list was released.The big question in the minds of voters in the district is “Who will be the CM?” in the event of BJP crossing the half-way mark or reaching anywhere close to it after the November 25 polls.
“Baraat toh taiyyar hai, lekin laada kaun banega? (The wedding procession is ready, but who will be the groom?),” asked Raju, who runs a tea stall near the mini-secretariat in Jhalawar. A huge building that is one of the biggest administrative buildings in the state, the mini-secretariat was built when Raje was CM and bears her stamp of authority in the district.
Bhanwar Singh Rajawat, district president of the state pensioners’ association, said, “Jhalawar got its identity because of Raje. Many here believe she may not be made the CM this time if BJP wins. But if Raje is not promoted, it would cost BJP dearly.”
Sanjay Jain, the party’s district president, said, “Madam (Raje) is the most revered leader in Rajasthan. All the projects in Jhalawar district such as the medical college, thermal power project, mini secretariat, and others were brought by her. Many developmental projects she got came to a standstill after she lost power.”
“If BJP projects madam (Raje) as its CM face, it will win all the 17 seats in Hadouti region. She has had an influence in this region for 35 years. Rajasthan is synonymous with Vasundhara,” said Devi Lal Lodha, who owns an eatery in the city’s main market. “The BJP high command used all its brain in Karnataka, but what was the result? How can you sideline her ?” he asked.
Raghuraj Singh Hada, former district Congress president, opined that BJP would not upset Raje to the extent that it loses some crucial seats in the state. “There is a perception that Jhalawar became a developed place because of ‘Rani’ (Raje). Even Congress workers feel so,” said Hada.
BJP had won all the four seats in Jhalawar district in the 2018 polls. “This time, Congress can win three of the four seats-Khanpur, Dag and Manohar Thana-if it fields fresh candidates,” said Hada, leaving out the Jhalrapatan seat, which has elected Raje four times and remains her stronghold. She has been named the BJP candidate from here for the upcoming polls as the party has repeated all the four candidates. Congress is yet to announce its candidates for the district.
“Last time we (Congress) fielded Manvendra Singh in Jhalrapatan, but what could he do? What does he know about Jhalawar? Instead of fielding ‘parachute’ candidates, locals should be given a chance. There is a perception that Gehlot fields weak candidates from Jhalrapatan seat so that the challenge before Raje is small,” said Hada. Raje had beaten Manvendra Singh by a huge margin of 34,980 votes, the highest among the four seats.
Congress Seva Dal district president Nand Singh Rathore said many in the district believe BJP has created sub-regional leaders like Om Birla (Kota), Diya Kumari (Jaipur), Balak Nath (Alwar), Kirori Lal Meena (Sawai Madhopur), Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner) and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Jodhpur) to avoid homogeneous voting in favour of an influential leader only in a particular region.
Challenges from Raje’s one-time confidantes and aides, with whom she fell out over the years, may emerge as her rivals in the upcoming polls. Shailendra Yadav of Congress, who failed to get the party ticket from Jhalrapatan in 2018, hopes to earn it this time. Raj Singh Mojawat, a retired government official may contest as an independent candidate in Jhalrapatan, said sources. “If Yadav and Mojawat contest against madam, it will not be an easy victory for her,” said Rathore.
