Tending the gardener

A few weeks ago, in the midst of all the fighting over poll tickets, Ashok Gehlot took some time out and met his jaat-bhais8212;the Mali co...

A few weeks ago, in the midst of all the fighting over poll tickets, Ashok Gehlot took some time out and met his jaat-bhais8212;the Mali community. Gehlot8217;s father, unlike most Malis, was a magician but still maintained close ties with his caste. However, the Chief Minister is usually known to keep his distance from the community, lest someone point fingers at him for granting favours. But this time Gehlot made an exception. And the reason was obvious8212;he needs them in order to win.

Wooing a caste known to be 8216;8216;hardcore BJP supporters8217;8217;, Gehlot told them how in the past 50 years, there had been no Mali chief minister in the state and that if he didn8217;t come back to power, there would not be another for the next 50 years. Somewhere, it struck a chord with a community 8216;8216;not inclined towards politics8217;8217;.

8216;8216;The CM made it very clear that there was a need for the community to unite and vote,8217;8217; says Nirmal Pawar, principal of the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule PG College. 8216;8216;He basically told the community that they are in a position to decide the way things will go and, to some extent, counter the Jat vote.8217;8217;

A caste traditionally comprising gardeners and vegetable vendors, the Malis have a formidable presence in the state. There are roughly 30 lakh Malis spread across the state and their vote counts in almost 40 seats. Gehlot needs them because of the crucial importance of caste in these elections. In Gehlot8217;s Sardarpura constituency, there are 184 lakh voters, of which 35,000 are Malis.

8216;8216;Sardarpura is a Mali-dominated pocket,8217;8217; says Rajendra Gehlot, former BJP minister from the constituency who has been denied a ticket this time. 8216;8216;Except in some pockets in Jodhpur, they have generally been against the Congress. We don8217;t think that just because Ashok Gehlot became chief minister, there will be a major vote swing.8217;8217;

But within the rank and file of the BJP, everyone is not so sure. Two BJP Mali leaders have been denied tickets this time. Besides Rajendra Gehlot, Olympian Gopal Saini is also not contesting this time.

Though the BJP has given half a dozen tickets to Mali candidates, compared to the two given by the Congress, the BJP8217;s decision to accord reservation to Jats has caused some resentment within the community. Also, many feel that the BJP has 8216;8216;bent backwards to woo the Jats, Rajputs and Brahmins, ignoring them8217;8217;.

Story continues below this ad

The only reason the BJP leadership is not unduly concerned is because the Malis are not known for their political activism. 8216;8216;At the end of the day, they are lakir ke fakirs people who toe the line,8217;8217; says Saini, who holds the national record in the 3,000-m steeple chase. 8216;8216;If they unite, they can change things, but most in the community don8217;t realise that. The Chief Minister has never openly embraced the community. He hasn8217;t done what Rajesh Pilot did for the Gujjars or Balram Jakhar did for the Jats. So the Malis didn8217;t really experience what having their man in power means.8217;8217;

Pawar agrees. 8216;8216;After Gehlot came to power, for almost two years, the community did not benefit in any way. He just didn8217;t respond to them. But after that, he has been helping them directly or indirectly and there have been some changes in their political leanings.8217;8217;

While 80 per cent of the Mali community is known to vote for the BJP, political watchers feel that this time the Gehlot magic might sway them. 8216;8216;Gehlot is a magician8217;s son after all,8217;8217; says a BJP worker in Jodhpur. 8216;8216;And he himself knows a few tricks.8217;8217;