A narrow interlocked street which can accommodate just one car at a time, with two drains running on either sides, in Ambala’s Thamber village was packed with a cavalcade on Tuesday morning.
Around 85 km from Panchkula and almost on the border of Yamunanagar, a dharamshala’s outer courtyard in this village (Thamber) was decked up with pink and red tents to welcome the BJP candidate from Ambala parliamentary constituency, Banto Kataria, on the campaign trail where her address to people from the “Rajput community” was scheduled.
Dressed in a lilac-coloured printed blouse and a peach saree with a BJP flag wrapped around her neck and a brooch pinned, 59-year-old Banto Kataria wearing trainer shoes got out of the Innova Crysta car with folded hands. She patted the youth members on the back who welcomed her on to a makeshift stage where the key organisers sat cheek by jowl in sweltering heat.
As serving back-to-back cold drinks did not seem to serve the purpose as everyone was sweating, a man asked the support staff to ensure all table fans were switched on and snacks for the guest was immediately brought in.
Before Banto Kataria’s address, amid slogans of Jai Shri Ram, the announcer said, “Aap sabhi apne aashirwaad se Modi ji ko jo char sau paar ki maala pehnayen…or vaada karen is maala mein ek kamal ka phool Ambala se hamari behen Banto ka hoga” (With all your blessings, offer Modi ji a garland of 400-plus votes…, also make sure one vote in that is for our sister from Ambala Banto)
As one by one, including BJP district president Mandeep Barara, spoke about how a vote to Banto Kataria would be a “sachi shhradhanjali” (true tribute) to late Rattan Lal Kataria, she sat with a peculiar look removing the garland that was offered to her.
“This entire community today is with the BJP. All the people voting in the polling booths of this village are with the BJP,” Mandeep Barara said in his address while canvassing for Banto.
“Aaj agar 27 varshon k baad samaj ko aisa mauka mila hai….ki Kanwar Suraj Pal ji ke baad agar Haryana sarkar mein mantri banaya..to unke bete Sanjay Singh Chauhan ko…isliye kisi ki baaton mein na aana…agar samaan mila hai kisi samaj ko to sabse zada Rajput samaj ko mila hai….(After 27 years, this community has got the opportunity that after Kanwar Suraj Pal, Sanjay Singh Chauhan has been made the minister. If there is one community that has received extreme respect is the Rajput community),” the district president said as Banto nodded in agreement.
As the mic was handed over to Banto Kataria, she spoke how her husband had selflessly served Ambala constituency for decades. Rattan Lal Kataria, former MP from this area and her husband who passed away on May 18 last year, had been a three-time MP. He had been the minister of state for Jal Shakti and social empowerment in the BJP government at the Centre. From Ambala Lok Sabha constituency, Rattan Lal Kataria had contested consecutively since 1999 till 2019, wherein he won the 1999, 2014, and 2019 polls but lost the 2004 and 2009 general elections.
Banto Kataria was a matriculate when she got married to Ratan Lal Kataria in 1984. Sources said that he encouraged her to study further following which Banto Kataria completed her graduation and even studied law. She has also practised in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Kataria was shattered after her husband died of pneumonia at PGI last year. However, her family and the party urged her to contest from the seat. Ambala parliamentary constituency comprises entire Ambala, Panchkula (including Kalka) and part of Yamunanagar.
In her address, Banto Kataria said, “The Congress government was there for years… and you would routinely hear of scams – 2G scam, urea scam, coal scam… so if today the Congress leaders come to seek your vote, just ask them what did they do for you all these years… if they made an airport, they named it after Indira Gandhi. Anything they made, they named it after Gandhis… The Congress did not come out of Gandhi family only.”
She added, “Aaj main apne Rajput bhai beheno se kehti hun…aap Modi ji k sath khade hona…Modi ji ne naye Bharat ka nirmaan kardiya hai…aap sankalp lijiye ki Rajput agar kahin khade honge to Modi ji k sath kamal k phool k sath. Jis talwar ko mayan mein rakha hai usse sankalp lijiye ki ek bhi vote idhar se nahi jayega…Congress ko to bilkul bhi nahi (Today I want to tell my Rajput brothers and sisters that you please stand with Modi ji, for he has begun the path of new India… you resolve that if Rajputs would stand with anyone, that will be with Modi ji and lotus symbol… All your votes from here should go to the BJP, and never to the Congress).
When Group Captain (then Wing Commander) Abhinandan was held captive by Pakistan, she said it was “Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had given a warning to Pakistan to return him within 24 hours, or else he will wipe them off the world map, following which Pakistan immediately sent him (Abhinandan) back”.
She said, “Narendra Modi ji ne kaha Pakistan walon sun lo..24 ghante k andar Abhinandan ko Wagah border cross karva do…agar 24 ghante se ek bhi minute zada hue to nakshe se Pakistan ko khatam kardunga…ye sankalp desh k Pradhan Mantri ne aapki vote k kaaran liya…24 ghante mein hi Pakistan ne Abhinandan ko Hindustan k andar kardiya… (Modi ji told Pakistan that Abhinandan should be made to cross the Wagah border here within 24 hours, or else he will wipe Pakistan off the map. This is the resolve he (PM) took for your vote, and within 24 hours, Abhinandan was sent to India…).
She continued, “…or aaj aap dekh sakte hain ki pakistan ka aam aadmi bhi kehta hai ki 6 mahine k liye ye Narendra Modi ko hume dedo…isliye rajput mere bade bhai…aapse prathna karti hun 25 tareek ko aap is bharat k naye nirman mein apna yog dan den, apna samarthan den, apna aashirwaad den (.. today even the common man of Pakistan says ‘give us Narendra Modi for six months to improve things in Pakistan’… so I appeal to my Rajput brothers, please contribute in the making of this new Bharat by blessing and supporting the BJP with your vote on May 25).
Dressed in a lilac-coloured printed blouse and a peach saree with a BJP flag wrapped around her neck and a brooch pinned, 59-year-old Banto Kataria wearing trainer shoes got out of the Innova Crysta car with folded hands. 
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