Even before the onset of summer, mercury levels went soaring in this Thar Desert region. Denied a ticket officially, nine-term BJP MP Jaswant Singh had just turned a rebel to “fulfil his wish” to fight his “last election” from his place of birth only to see the party moving swiftly to expel him. This was the second time in the last five years that he had been kicked out of the party, the earlier instance being in 2009 for praising Pakistan founder MA Jinnah in his book. Incidentally, on both occasions, it was Rajnath Singh at the helm of the BJP.
Since his revolt, this geographically biggest parliamentary constituency of India on the India-Pak border in western Rajasthan has been witnessing an intense fight for the April 17 battle, campaigning for which along with 19 other seats in the State draws to a close on Tuesday.
Known for his shoulder-flapped shirts, the septuagenarian leader has shown an unflappable spirit in his ‘battle for honour’. For Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, though, it is a ‘battle for prestige’. She has the onerous task of proving that her outright preference for a new Congress turncoat, Col (retd) Sonaram Chaudhary, to the party’s old warhorse from the seat was justified. It has, thus, turned into a Jaswant versus Raje fight.
Jaswant has the opportunity to settle several scores with a win: Avenge the “humiliation” meted out to him by the BJP; inflict further humiliation on his BJP rival, this time as the father of Manvendra Singh, who had vanquished Sonaram in the 2004 lok Sabha polls; and avenge his son’s defeat at the hands of the sitting MP Harish Chaudhary (in 2009), who is again the Congress’ candidate. But, most importantly, bow out of electoral politics on a winning note “with his head held high”.
Raje has been leaving nothing to chance frequenting this border constituency for rallies and even one-on-ones with those considered influential and close to Jaswant in a bid to isolate the former BJP leader. Rajput and Muslim leaders of the party from the State have also been told to canvass aggressively for Sonaram.
It’s evident, Jaswant, the Independent candidate who was initially taken lightly, has queered the pitch for his erstwhile party and converted the fight into a triangular contest, which, otherwise, would have been a direct one between the BJP and the Congress. Faced with a strong anti-incumbency, the Congress is banking on Harish’ “goodwill”, his “five-year performance” and its traditional vote bank.
Nand Singh, a resident of Sadar Bazar, says he has never witnessed a battle so intense where individual stakes are sky high. A Rajput, his sympathy is with the leader from his community, Jaswant --- a factor which is keeping the BJP on tenterhooks. The BJP is wary of the 2 lakh Rajputs in the two districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer under this constituency throwing their lot behind Jaswant.
The BJP fielded Sona Ram playing the Jat card in view of the 3.5-lakh-strong community’s dominance in the seat. But the division in the Jat votes for Sona Ram and Harish could help Jaswant. BJP’s worries are also compounded by the calculations that the “liberal and moderate” Jaswant has a considerable support among the 2.5 lakh Muslims in the constituency of 16 lakh voters.
For his part, Jaswant has made all the right noises so far. Besides playing the sympathy card for being “wronged” by the party he served his entire life, he has made promises like making the weekly cross-border Jodhpur-Karachi Thar Express a daily affair with a halt in Barmer, a long time demand of the locals. From bringing benefits of oil refinery project to the region to providing commercial air connectivity; from finishing the Rajasthan canal project for drinking water to setting up a camel research centre in Barmer --- his manifesto has it all.
Till Jaswant arrived on the scene, the BJP was confident of a victory owing to the fact that it had won seven of the eight Assembly seats under the Barmer lok Sabha seat only four months ago. It will now need the unflinching support of the BJP’s voters; the caste calculations to fall in place; and above all, the Modi wave to ensure Sona Ram sails through.
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi hasn’t helped matters either. He has made it clear the denial of ticket to Jaswant was not his call but that of the State election committee. He refrained from attacking Jaswant during his rally here on Saturday and also did not come out openly in support of Sona Ram.
Jaswant’s son Manvendra, currently the BJP MlA from Sheo, one of the eight Assembly constituencies under Barmer lok Sabha seat, had trounced Sona Ram by 3.30 lakh votes in 2004. “Sona Ram, a three-term MP from the seat, could not win even in the Assembly elections last December. Still, the party preferred him,” points out Jaisingh Rathore, a tour operator and Rajput.
Manvendra, who had lost to Harish by 1.19 lakh votes in 2009, now stands suspended from the BJP for supporting his father. With BJP workers and leaders distancing from his father publicly, his mother Sheetal and his wife Chitra are canvassing for Jaswant.