Sangeeta Sharma

Jodhpur: After the second list of candidates for the Rajasthan assembly polls scheduled to be held on 7 December was released on 14 November, it appeared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is considering both, caste calculations and chances of its incumbent legislators, in equal measure while awarding tickets in the Marwar region of state, which accounts for 33 of the total 200 assembly constituencies. In the first two lists, 32 candidates have been finalized in Marwar, leaving ticket hopefuls in one constituency -- Sumerpur -- anxious.

The situation on ground among the BJP workers is, however, not very conducive for the nominated candidates to register an easy win. While many are unhappy either with denial of tickets to candidates they backed, some are discontent about the nominated candidate from their constituency. Several BJP leaders who quit the party after being denied tickets have been fielded by the Congress, as it released its first list of 152 candidates late Thursday night.  

Not giving a ticket to leaders like Surendra Goyal, who enjoy the backing of a strong cadre, may cost the saffron party dear in Marwar. Goyal, the sitting MLA from Jaitaran who was also the public health engineering and ground water minister in the Vasundhra Raje government, resigned from his post and the party on 12 November, a day after BJP fielded Avinash Gehlot from the constituency instead of the five-time MLA. The buzz in Jaitaran is that the party wanted to appease the Mali community.

Goyal has now threatened to beat the BJP in Jaitaran by contesting independently. Last date to file nominations in state is 19 November. Apart from Goyal, six other sitting MLAs in Marwar -- Jivaram Beenmal, Chotu Singh, Tarun Kaga, Amitra Meghwal, Sanjana Agri, Shaitan Singh -- have been denied tickets, flaring rebellion from their supporters against the party.

“I have been an MLA from last four terms. Certain BJP and RSS leaders were scared that I might become the chief minister because of my nature and popularity. Hence my ticket was cancelled due to pressure from RSS. This is why I have resigned from my position as the minister and have left BJP,” Goyal said.

Cong fields BJP's left-outs

Among the 162 candidates finalised by the saffron party so far, 43 sitting MLAs have been left out, which led to protests by their supporters on Thursday in front of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s house.  

Sitting MLA from Nagaur, Habibur Rahman, also resigned from the BJP after being denied the ticket and joined Congress, which fielded him to re-contest his current seat.

“I was with Congress during the period when Ashok Gehlot was the chief minister. Joining back the party without any conditions feels like Ghar Wapsi. I was denied a ticket in BJP due to certain party norms that I am not aware of,” Rahman told mediapersons on Wednesday.

The Marwar region plays a crucial role in the state assembly. As many as three former CMs, including Congress national general secretary Ashok Gehlot, come from this region. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, the region has been favouring the BJP over the last two terms, and that makes the contest in Marwar all the more significant for the two national parties. In the last assembly polls, BJP bagged 30 seats in Marwar region while Congress was limited to three seats.

On the disputed seat of Sumerpur, the drawn-out discord with BJP leader Om Prakash Mathur is jeopardising sitting MLA Madan Rathore's chance to re-contest. While Raje wanted to grant Rathore a ticket, Mathur, who is part of the committee deciding tickets to candidates, has put forth all efforts to halt it. During the 2008 election as well, Rathore was left out on Mathur's suggestion to field Shankar Singh Rajpurohit, who had lost the seat to Bina Kak of Congress by about 9,000 votes.

While journalist-turned-godman, Ghanshyam Vyas, who is known to be close to Baba Ramdev, is pressing the party to finalise Rathore’s candidature, Mathur is pushing for current head of Sumerpur Municipal Council, Jora Ram Kumavat, to be given the ticket.

Another prominent face who moved to Congress from the BJP is Manvendra Singh, son of former cabinet minister Jaswant Singh Jasol, who will be representing the party from Shiv AC. BJP has taken a chance by fielding a new face against Singh, Khuman Singh. Other constituencies in Marwar where BJP has fielded new faces are Chauhatan and Pokhran. Adhuram Meghwal has been nominated from Chauhatan and from Pokhran, Pratap Puri has been chosen, while Raje wanted Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to contest the seat. Shekhawat himself was not interested in the seat.

Dr Priyanka Choudhary, chairperson of the Urban Improvement Trust, Jodhpur, who was expecting a ticket from Barmer AC, resigned from her post after Member of Parliament (MP) from Barmer LS constituency Colonel Sonaram Choudhary was given the AC ticket. Dr Priyanka had lost the last assembly elections from Barmer to Mewaram Jain of the Congress. BJP workers in Barmer are also disappointed with the selection. A rebellion from Choudhary could hurt the chances of BJP in Barmer since she is also the granddaughter of late BJP leader Gangaram Choudhary.

BJP is also facing a blow in Jalore after sitting MLA Amrita Meghwal was denied a ticket. In Sanchore as well, the saffron party workers are upset with nomination of Danaram Choudhary, a young candidate, instead of former MLA Jeevaram Choudhary.

MLA from Sojat, Sanjana Agari, is expected to resign from the party as she recently met CM Raje to express her disappointment about the current workings of the party.

Handling rebels

Rising discontent among old timers in the party has propelled the BJP to form a core committee to handle the rebels. According to sources, as a 'damage control' measure, the party is promising important positions, like chairpersons in government organisations, to dejected leaders after it wins. A separate team is focused on controlling the repercussions emerging after Congress' list of candidates was released.

According to convener of BJP’s election management committee in Rajasthan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, tickets have been given based on performances which have been judged through several surveys and discussions. “People are unhappy after being denied the ticket but there is no situation of insurgency. It is not possible to give tickets to everyone. However, it has been decided that the party will form a team which will handle this situation and will focus on damage control wherever there is a possibility of loss,” Shekhawat said.