GenNext wives hit Rajasthan campaign trail

Meet the better halves of the GenNext of Indian politics: Chitra,wife of BJP candidate from Barmer Manvendra Singh; Sarah,wife of Congress candidate from Ajmer Sachin Pilot; Ambika,wife of Congress candidate from Alwar Bhanwar Jitendra Singh; and Niharika,wife of BJP candidate from Jhalawar-Baran Dushyant Singh.

They have been actively campaigning for their husbands,either acting as their shadow or charting out their own separate trail with a group of women. Of the four,only Niharika has had some grooming in politics under her mother-in-law and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. For instance,Raje had asked her to serve a meal to Gurjjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla when he had come to the CM’s official residence for negotiations on his demand for ST status for his community. Touched by the gesture,Bainsla is reported to have blessed the CM’s daughter-in-law. While Dushyant Singh has been proudly proclaiming himself as “Gurjjars’ jawai (son-in-law)” during his campaign,Niharika has been going door-to-door to woo voters for her husband. She had been drafted in her mother-in-law’s election campaign too.

But for Ambika,a post-graduate from St Stephen’s in Delhi and an ace shooter,it’s an entirely new experience travelling from one village to another as women come out in droves to see their ‘maharani’,touch her cheeks,hug her,and then blurt out a litany of complaints like dearth of drinking water and lack of employment. “I also have children and have to wash their clothes. I can understand your problem. When we have no water,we have to get it from the market,” she told women in Bhugor village last Saturday.

“I want development of the region and also want to help my husband. Instead of sitting at home and worrying about things,I came here and saw their plight for myself,” she said.

In Barmer,Chitra has also been going from door-to-door to campaign for her husband who has suddenly found himself alone with father Jaswant Singh contesting from Darjeeling. Wearing a saree and veil,she campaigns in over a dozen villages everyday.

In Ajmer,Sarah draws enthusiastic reactions from women as she greets them with folded hands. With the BJP fielding Kiran Maheshwari in Ajmer,Sarah’s presence has been a big strength to Sachin.