New Delhi: Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of candidates for Rajasthan election this Monday, protests, sloganeering, and voices of resentment were reported from at least a dozen seats — the loudest being that of three-time MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi, who was replaced by MP Diya Kumari in Vidyadhar Nagar.
Rajvi is the son-in-law of former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
“This is a strategy to defame the legacy of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. It’s shocking that the party has changed the candidate, despite my being a sitting MLA from here…I am hurt and will decide my future course of action in the coming days,” the Vidyadhar Nagar MLA told ThePrint.
Of the 41 seats announced in the BJP’s first list, Vidyadhar Nagar was the only one with the party. Prominent among seats where the choice of candidates led to an uproar are Vidyadhar Nagar, Jhotwara, Kishangarh, Nagar, Tonk, Sanchore, and Kotputli, with some of the aspirants claiming their proximity to senior leader Vasundhara Raje cost them the ticket.
In all, the party has included seven MPs in the first list. Sensing rebellion, the BJP formed a committee Tuesday under Barmer MP and Union minister Kailash Choudhary to mollify disgruntled leaders and dissuade them from contesting against party candidates, said party sources.
Union minister and party’s state in-charge Pralhad Joshi met Rajvi Tuesday while some other senior leaders met Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, who was denied ticket from Jhotwara, said the sources.
“The party has been trying to dissuade leaders from fighting independently as it will weaken our prospects…there has been news of protests against the candidature of MPs but we are hopeful that in the coming days, everybody will work for party. The party has given tickets only on the basis of a survey and feedback report,” Rajasthan BJP general secretary Bhajanlal Sharma told ThePrint.
According to the Election Commission (EC) schedule, Rajasthan goes to polls for its 200 seats on 23 November and the results will be announced 3 December.
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Rebellion on more seats?
The party has fielded MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore from Jhotwara. In 2018, Vasundhara Raje confidant Rajpal Singh Shekhawat had contested unsuccessfully from here. Jhotwara falls under Rathore’s Parliamentary constituency of Jaipur Rural.
Shekhawat visited Raje in Jaipur Tuesday along with his supporters, to protest against the development. The supporters raised slogans against Rathore at the party’s state office in Jaipur, as was widely reported in the media.
“I do not understand why the party has dropped me. I have been a legislator multiple times since 1990. Rathore is a junior,” Shekhawat told ThePrint. “According to a recent survey by a newspaper, 62 percent of the people in my constituency wanted my candidature… I don’t know which survey the BJP has used.”
Alleging that it was his association with Raje that may have ended his chances, he said, “Vasundhara ji is the national vice-president of the party and an association with her is not a sin…I am hurt at the way the party denied me a ticket…it should reconsider its decision.”
From Kishangarh, the party has given the ticket to Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary, drawing protest from Vikas Choudhary who unsuccesfully contested in 2018 from there. Addressing his supporters Tuesday, he broke down and said, “I have worked in the field in the last five years, but Bhagirath Choudhary has killed my career…he never supported me.”
“In 2018, I was fielded at the last moment. Though it was difficult to win, I still contested. This time, the strategy is to finish me politically,” he can be heard saying in videos.
Rebellion is also brewing in Nagar where the party has fielded Jawahar Singh Bedam, prompting Anita Singh Gurjar to blame her affinity to Raje for the loss of opportunity. Taking to Facebook, she posted, “Many people are calling me to enquire about my candidature. The BJP has not given me a ticket due to my proximity to Vasundhara ji. Instead, they gave the ticket to someone who lost in another constituency by 50,000 voters. Here, he will forfeit his deposit as well.”
In Sanchore, Dana Ram Choudhary’s supporters started a dharna Tuesday against MP Devji Patel who was given the ticket. Choudhary told ThePrint, “Our supporters are against the fielding of MPs. We worked in the constituency for five years but at the last moment, the party fielded an MP for assembly election. How is it fair that this candidate got to fight the Lok Sabha election, and will now contest the assembly polls too? What is left for other party workers?”
Likewise, in Kotputli, Mukesh Goel protested against the party’s choice, Hansraj Patel Gurjar. Claiming that he was not inclined to entering the fray independently, Goel told ThePrint, “The party has given the ticket to someone who has betrayed the party in the past…the party has not respected workers sentiments.”
Supporters of Rajendra Gurjar, who contested the 2018 election from Tonk, marched to party state headquarters in Jaipur Tuesday to protest against Vijay Bainsla’s candidature.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)