Villages and urban centres in Tonk district, part of a princely state in British India controlled by the Nawabs till 1947, are all agog with electoral activities and chatter. Three of the four assembly constituencies in the district had elected Congress in the 2018 polls, and the fourth (Malpura) was bagged by BJP.
In Tonk constituency, sitting MLA and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilotlooks poised for an easy victory once again.In this constituency dominated by Muslims, Gujjars and SC communities, Pilot had won the 2018 poll with a margin of 54,179 votes, the highest in the state in that poll, by beating BJP’s “last-minute candidate” Yoonus Khan, a former cabinet minister. Pilot had secured 64% of the total votes polled in Tonk, a feat not attained by a Congress candidate there earlier.
In the 2018 poll, Yoonus Khan was given the ticket for Tonk on the insistence of then CM Vasundhara Raje, and the saffron party had to recall its nominated candidate, Ajit Singh Mehta, a former MLA. BJP has pitted Mehta against Pilot this time. Khan, having been denied a BJP ticket, is contesting as an independent candidate from his home turf of Deedwana in Nagaur district. BSP, which had secured 10% of the votes in the 2008 polls in Tonk, has fielded Ashok Kumar for this constituency.
Even though Pilot is not being projected as the CM candidate this time, unlike in 2018, his popularity and charisma remains intact in the whole Tonk district. His supporters predicted a repeat of his record-breaking victory margin, insisting that the minorities and Gujjars in the constituency stand solidly with him. But they may be underestimating Mehta’s RSS background and local network. Mehta is playing an ‘outsider versus insider’ card to woo BJP’s traditional voters.
As Mehta mentions the poor roads, defunct streetlights and bad medical facilities in Tonk in his campaign speeches, Pilot supporters countering it by claiming that the Gehlot government, due to the turbulence in the state Congress, prevented the MLA from executing his blueprint for the historic city.
The district has three more constituencies: Niwai, Deoli-Uniara and Malpura. In 2018, the Niwai and Deoli-Uniara seats were won by the Congress, while the Malpura seat was captured by the BJP.
Niwai constituency is witnessing a triangular contest among sitting Congress MLA Prashant Bairwa, BJP’s Ram Sahay Verma and RLP candidate Prahlad Narain Bairwa. According to Rajkumar Karnani, a veteran political commentator based in Niwai, both Congress and BJP candidates are struggling with internal rifts.
“Prashant Bairwa faces opposition from Gujjars for allegedly betraying Pilot. The open rebellion by Congress leaders led to NCP winning 17 out of 35 seats in Niwai Municipality. Those opposing Bairwa continue to work against him. Verma, who lost by 40,000 votes in 2018, is opposed by many local BJP leaders, who even went up to Delhi to complain against him,” said Karnani.
Prahlad is likely to get much of the Jat and SC votes in Niwai. “Voters opposed to Prashant and Verma can join the RLP candidate, who is new and does not face any corruption charges like the two others do,” added Karnani. Prahlad’s nomination rally on Monday indicated that he has emerged as a force to reckon with in Niwai.
The main contest in Deoli-Uniara constituency is between sitting Congress MLA and former DGP Harish Meena and Vijay Bainsla, the son of Gujjar leader late Kirori Singh Bainsla. Both candidates face internal opposition for being outsiders in the constituency. Bainsla may have overcome the first hurdle by pacifying Rajendra Gujjar, who was seeking a BJP ticket from here. Vikram Singh Gujjar has filed nomination as an RLP candidate after he was denied a Congress ticket. This constituency is dominated by the Meenas and the Gujjars, who have traditionally been political rivals.
Congress desperately looks for a victory in Malpura, which has been electing either BJP or independent candidates since 1993. Two-term sitting BJP MLA Kanhiya Lal is pitted this time against local face and Congress candidate Ghasi Lal Choudhary in this Jat-dominated constituency.
In Tonk constituency, sitting MLA and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilotlooks poised for an easy victory once again.In this constituency dominated by Muslims, Gujjars and SC communities, Pilot had won the 2018 poll with a margin of 54,179 votes, the highest in the state in that poll, by beating BJP’s “last-minute candidate” Yoonus Khan, a former cabinet minister. Pilot had secured 64% of the total votes polled in Tonk, a feat not attained by a Congress candidate there earlier.
In the 2018 poll, Yoonus Khan was given the ticket for Tonk on the insistence of then CM Vasundhara Raje, and the saffron party had to recall its nominated candidate, Ajit Singh Mehta, a former MLA. BJP has pitted Mehta against Pilot this time. Khan, having been denied a BJP ticket, is contesting as an independent candidate from his home turf of Deedwana in Nagaur district. BSP, which had secured 10% of the votes in the 2008 polls in Tonk, has fielded Ashok Kumar for this constituency.
Even though Pilot is not being projected as the CM candidate this time, unlike in 2018, his popularity and charisma remains intact in the whole Tonk district. His supporters predicted a repeat of his record-breaking victory margin, insisting that the minorities and Gujjars in the constituency stand solidly with him. But they may be underestimating Mehta’s RSS background and local network. Mehta is playing an ‘outsider versus insider’ card to woo BJP’s traditional voters.
As Mehta mentions the poor roads, defunct streetlights and bad medical facilities in Tonk in his campaign speeches, Pilot supporters countering it by claiming that the Gehlot government, due to the turbulence in the state Congress, prevented the MLA from executing his blueprint for the historic city.
The district has three more constituencies: Niwai, Deoli-Uniara and Malpura. In 2018, the Niwai and Deoli-Uniara seats were won by the Congress, while the Malpura seat was captured by the BJP.
Niwai constituency is witnessing a triangular contest among sitting Congress MLA Prashant Bairwa, BJP’s Ram Sahay Verma and RLP candidate Prahlad Narain Bairwa. According to Rajkumar Karnani, a veteran political commentator based in Niwai, both Congress and BJP candidates are struggling with internal rifts.
“Prashant Bairwa faces opposition from Gujjars for allegedly betraying Pilot. The open rebellion by Congress leaders led to NCP winning 17 out of 35 seats in Niwai Municipality. Those opposing Bairwa continue to work against him. Verma, who lost by 40,000 votes in 2018, is opposed by many local BJP leaders, who even went up to Delhi to complain against him,” said Karnani.
Prahlad is likely to get much of the Jat and SC votes in Niwai. “Voters opposed to Prashant and Verma can join the RLP candidate, who is new and does not face any corruption charges like the two others do,” added Karnani. Prahlad’s nomination rally on Monday indicated that he has emerged as a force to reckon with in Niwai.
The main contest in Deoli-Uniara constituency is between sitting Congress MLA and former DGP Harish Meena and Vijay Bainsla, the son of Gujjar leader late Kirori Singh Bainsla. Both candidates face internal opposition for being outsiders in the constituency. Bainsla may have overcome the first hurdle by pacifying Rajendra Gujjar, who was seeking a BJP ticket from here. Vikram Singh Gujjar has filed nomination as an RLP candidate after he was denied a Congress ticket. This constituency is dominated by the Meenas and the Gujjars, who have traditionally been political rivals.
Congress desperately looks for a victory in Malpura, which has been electing either BJP or independent candidates since 1993. Two-term sitting BJP MLA Kanhiya Lal is pitted this time against local face and Congress candidate Ghasi Lal Choudhary in this Jat-dominated constituency.
