Dausa — Rama Pilot faces opposition from own party

State BJP president Bhanwar Lal Sharma said here yesterday that one thing was certain — the BJP would not put up just a token fight. “We will field a strong candidate,” he added, but refused to give any names. The party election committee which met on Sunday deliberated on the issue, but left the decision to the high command.

Sources said the leaders felt that the BJP, which lost the seat by less than 7,000 votes the last time, could win it this time round with a better strategy and a more co-ordinated campaign.

The prospects of a Brahim candidate are rated high, provided he is able to muster the support of Meena and Jat communities as well. It is in this context that the names of Chaturvedi and Tewari have cropped up. Chaturvedi, given his standing, is expected to draw full support from the Brahmin community, besides the most influential Meena leader of the area, Kirori Lal Meena, a BJP MLA, who is always at loggerheads with former chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

When asked if he was a probable candidate for Dausa, Chaturvedi told The Indian Express that he had neither visualised himself as one, nor had made any suggestion to this effect. This, however, did not categorically rule out the possibility of his jumping in to the fray in case he was directed to do so by the party high command.

Notwithstanding the widespread sympathy generated by the tragic death of Rajesh Pilot, winning Dausa is not going to be a cakewalk for his widow. Rama Pilot’s problems have been compounded by the hostility of half-a-dozenimportant party leaders from the constituency. Heading the list is the veteran leader Nawal Kishore Sharma, followed by four key leaders like state Irrigation Minister Kamla (Bairath Assembly segment), Minister of State for Co-operatives Prasadi Lal Meena from the Lalsot Assembly segment, Congress Legislature Party chief whip Hari Singh Mahuwa from Mahuwa and Shailendra Joshi from Bandikui.

According to sources, all of them have supported the candidature of former Dausa zila Pramukh Suresh Sharma. These leaders represent four vital caste-groups in the constituency — Joshi is a Brahmin, Prasadi Lal is a MeenaMahuwa is a Gujar and Kamla is a Jat.

Nawal Kishore Sharma, who is from Dausa and has represented the seat earlier, obviously nurses the grievance that Rajesh Pilot, who belonged to Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, had ousted him. Now that he is no more, Sharma sees no reason to help Rama Pilot to perpetuate his exile.

Kamla is a senior leader with a legislative career spanning over three decades and Joshi, apart from being a second-term MLA, is the son of former minister B.N. Joshi.

In becoming the party high command’s choice for Dausa, Pilot had sabotaged their electoral prospects last time. Prasadi Lal Meena and Mahuwa, both established leaders, are inclined to play a larger role and see no reason to play second-fiddle to Rama Pilot. According to sources, even though they have lent support to Suresh Sharma’s candidature, they would be happier to jump in to the fray themselves.

Though state Congress president Girija Vyas told The Indian Expressafter the state election committee meeting here today that she and ChiefMinsiter Ashok Gehlot would follow up the outcome of the deliberationswith the high command, the candidature of Rama Pilot is perceived as finalised.

However, what is not certain is whether she would be able to muster total support from her party colleagues. Given the developments in the BJP camp, she has a tough task at hand.