By Umakant Lakhera*
BHARATPUR (RAJASTHAN)—All seven seats of the predominantly rural Bharatpur are embroiled in a triangular and four-sided fight. After the end of the last day of withdrawal of names on Wednesday, the polarization of castes in the straight fight of ruling Congress versus Bharatiya Janata Party has put many candidates of both camps into trouble.
Due to its proximity to Uttar Pradesh Agra and Mathura, the exciting caste war of the UP’s politics is visible at many seats of Bharatpur. The color of Haryana’s Mewat region is not less interesting.
Bharatpur (Main) is the lone seat in Rajasthan where the Congress has left the seat for its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Rashtriya Lok Dal’s candidate Subhash Garg is fighting the election from here on the Pump election symbol. His fight is against BJP’s Vijay Bansal. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s Girish Chaudhary is also in the frey. There was a good chance of RLD’s Subhash Garg to win but the name withdrawal of the rebel candidate Girdhar Tiwari of BJP on the last date has made the fight tough for Subhash Garg.
Subhash Garg is a state minister in the Gehlot government. The BJP is making an issue of Garg’s role in many paper leak scams during the Gehlot government tenure.
In the Jat-dominated Nadwai Assembly seat, BJP’s Jagat Singh seems to be slightly ahead of the Congress and other candidates. Jagat Singh is the son of former Congress minister Natwar Singh. He is pitted against Joginder Singh Awana who has joined Congress leaving BSP.
Awana is also a Jat and he is basically a resident of Ghaziabad. He fought the last election on BSP’s ticket but he changed the camp and got the ticket from Congress. In this Jat versus Jat fight, the equation of Vice President Jagdip Dhankad is weighing in favor of Natwar Singh’s son Jagat Singh.
Vishwendra Singh of the Congress seems to have the upper hand in the Dikumer Assembly seat like BJP’s Jagat Singh in Nadwai. Viswendra Singh has played a significant role in getting Dikumer declared a district.
He is a powerful cabinet minister in the Gehlot government. He is the son of the last ruler of Bharatpur Brajendra Singh. He is hogging all the limelight compared to his opponents. His straight fight is with BJP’s Shailendra Singh who had fought the 2018 election and lost by 8000 votes. This time too he is embroiled in a tough fight.
The father of his opponent Shailendra Singh, Dr. Digambar Singh of the BJP was a tall political leader. In 2008, when Vishwendra Singh’s political conflict increased with Digambar Singh, Vishwendra dumped the BJP and joined the Congress.
In the struggle for Jat supremacy, Vishwendra Singh’s stature in Jat politics has continuously increased despite a loss in 2008 to Digambar Singh.
On the other hand, in the Kama seat of Bharatpur, the political magic of Haryana’s Mewat is clearly visible. Here Mew Muslim population is estimated to be between 55 to 60 percent.
The daughter of Chaudhary Tayyab Hussain, a former Congress stalwart of Haryana, Zahida Khan is a minister in the Gehlot government but there was strong opposition within Congress over giving party ticket to her. BJP has fielded young firebrand leader Nauchham Chaudhary against Zahida Khan. Nauchham had fought the election from Punhana in Haryana.
Nauchham’s mother is a Jatav, so, she is eying on the Dalit-Muslim equation. BJP is hinging on the polarization of Meo versus Hindu voters and the internal strife against Zahida Khan. It is reported that there is discontent against her and people complain about her rough behaviour.
But Madan Mohan Singhal has created problems for the BJP as he has become a rebel candidate. He was MLA two times but he has been denied a ticket from BJP. So, he is fighting as a rebel.
City (Bhatarpur) seat is another interesting seat where the politics of Meo Muslims and Jatavs are quite dominant. Wajid Ali has got a Congress ticket this time. In the last assembly poll, he contested on a BSP ticket. Wajid runs a private a university in Australia. He claims that he has good inroads in BSP’s Jatavs votes. But BSP is trying to teach a lesson to Wajid by fielding the Meo community’s Khurshid Ahmad.
To consolidate the Hindu votes and polarise them in its favour, BJP has fielded Jawahar Singh Gurjar from here. On the other hand, Nemsingh Faujdar has also filed nomination papers from the Azad Samaj Party. Faujdar is pinning his hopes on Jatav votes. Thus, this seat would see a multi-pronged fight.
On the Bayana (reserved) seat Amar Singh Jatav of Congress and Bachchu Singh Jatav would lock horns. This is considered to be an interesting fight as both the candidates belong to the same village.
BJP has to face a rebel candidate in Ritu Banawat from Bayana. She has filed her nomination papers as an independent candidate. Till recently, her husband Rishi Bansal was the district chief of the BJP. Rishi Bansal was expelled from BJP as his wife rebelled from the BJP.
Weir is another reserved seat. There is a straight fight between Bhajan Singh, current MLA of Congress and Bahadur Singh Koli of the BJP in Weir. Bahadur Singh Koki has been a two-time MLA and a one-time MP.
*Mr Umakant Lakhera is an Independent journalist and former president of the Press Club of India.
