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Journalism of Courage
In the heart of Rajasthan’s tribal belt, the BJP and the eight-month-old Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) seem to be neck-and-neck in their fight for the Banswara Lok Sabha constituency even as the Congress has been forced to campaign against its own candidate.
The Congress was dealt a huge blow in February, virtually taking it out of the race in Banswara — which votes on Friday — after its four-time MLA from Bagidora, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, crossed over to the BJP along with 150 of his supporters. Malviya is now contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the seat as the BJP nominee.
While Malviya’s departure prompted the Congress to align with the BAP, the tie-up happened only in the hours before the nominations closed. Consequently, even as it extended support to the BAP’s Rajkumar Roat, the Congress’s Arvind Damor, who had already filed his nomination, refused to withdraw and remains in the fray officially as a Congress candidate.
A BAP leader admitted the fear that many Congress voters may choose Damor, based on the symbol.
The Banswara Lok Sabha seat has eight Assembly segments under it. The BJP holds four (Dungarpur, Sagwara, Garhi and Bagidora), the Congress three (Ghatol, Banswara and Kushalgarh) and BAP (Chorasi).
Voters, who have for long been staunch supporters of Malviya, are divided after his switch to the BJP. “Roat (two-time MLA from Chorasi) and the BAP have been raising our issues in the Assembly and work on the ground. We will vote for the BAP,” says Kesri Mal of Jagpura village, which falls under the Ghatol Assembly seat.
Malviya’s move has also triggered worries among a section of tribals. “We have been firmly behind him so far, but now his crossing over to the BJP has people worried that he may change his stance again due to greed,” a resident of Lala Barod village says.
Speaking to The Indian Express, BAP leader Hemant Rana, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from Banswara in last year’s Assembly elections, says his party works extensively on the ground and their campaign is crowd-funded. “We do not force people to attend our rallies. We have an upper hand here.”
Roat says Malviya, on the other hand, is trying to bribe the voters. “Rajasthan will witness its most expensive Lok Sabha elections,” he says.
At the same time, the BJP’s clout is its biggest plus. “Everybody supports the BAP but we must think practically. Even if Roat wins, where will he get the funds for development with BJP governments both at the Centre and the state?” a tea-seller in Banswara, Dinesh Katara, says.
A BJP leader says Malviya is way ahead barring “stiff competition” from the BAP in Dungarpur and Kushalgarh.
Another BJP leader admits that Roat enjoys the support of the youth as he has risen from student politics. “Tribal youth may vote for him, but people from other castes including OBCs, who are above the age of 40, are connected with Malviya and the BJP,” he says.
One factor that has come up in the last leg is the fear that a BJP government may carry out “changes in the Constitution”, particularly after remarks to that effect by some of its leaders, including Nagaur candidate Jyoti Mirdha. The BAP and Congress, during their door-to-door campaigns, have been claiming the same, telling voters that the BJP may do away with reservation for tribals.
In rallies across the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah tried to counter this, assuring people that reservation will remain untouched with Modi going on to say “even Ambedkar cannot change the Constitution if he wanted to”. It was in Banswara that Modi also made one of his contentious speeches of the campaign claiming that the Congress would take away people’s wealth to give to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.
