In Jaisalmer both the BJP and the Congress candidates have taken their fight straight inside the four walls of the Jaisalmer Fort. Besides local population who stay inside the protected monument, the tourists visiting the Royale heritage property are being forced to taste the flavour of ‘street’ politics.
From wall posters to long strings of party flags and wall graffiti, every form of campaign material has been put to use to influence the voters in the run-up to the polls. During their visit to the fort many foreign tourists have been prompted to ask their local guides, “Is campaigning permitted inside the protected monumentIJ” Instead of giving them a satisfactory reply, most of the city guides try to avoid the question by claiming, “it is not unusual here. It goes on like this”.
Ironically, the contesting candidates have pasted their posters on the heritage property without inviting any reprimand. A few days ago while participating in a debate on a private news channel, the two rival candidates and their workers came close to exchanging blows outside the main gate of the fort and the situation was brought under control tactfully by the locals present there.
like the entire State, the desert city is also witnessing a tough fight between sitting BJP MlA Chhotu Singh Bhati and Ruparam Meghwal of the Congress. Ruparam is a retired chief engineer of the water works department. After 1998 the Congress has not won the seat. This time the party has given its mandate to Ruparam to take advantage of the support of the Meghwal community.
By fielding Ruparam on a general seat, the Congress is hoping to wrest the seat from the BJP. The party think tank is banking on the social engineering formula drafted by them keeping in view the percentage of Sindhi-Muslim and Meghwal community voters in mind. This has led to consolidation of Rajput votes in the area in favour of the BJP candidate. Denial of ticket to another strong Rajput candidate Sunita Bhati of the Congress may prove costly for the party despite forging Muslim-Mehgwal alliance.
To win the seat, the Congress is also banking heavily on the local cleric Gazi Fakir. Fakir represents respected Pir Pagaras of Pakistan in this border belt of Rajasthan. leaders of both the parties in the past have been seeking his support to ensure victory of their party candidates. Fakir’s son, Saleh Mohammad, is contesting from Pokaran Assembly seat on the Congress party ticket for the second term. Shaitan Singh Rathore of the BJP is fighting against him and had earlier lost 2008 elections by less than 500 votes. This time also the candidates are locked in a close fight and banking heavily of cast equations to steal victory.
It is believed Pakistani cleric holds sway over the community members and the local leaders woo his Indian counterpart to earn the support of the Sindhi-Muslims in the area. The majority population of over 2 lakh Sindhi-Muslims in the region are followers of Pir Pagara Aleemdeen Shah and according to political workers in the area they receive directions to support or reject a particular candidate. With just three days left before the campaign comes to an end on Friday evening, the candidates have intensified door-to-door campaign in the remote villages and taking out rallies and organising street corner meetings to reach out to the electorate.