Rajasthan: Rabble-rouser MLAs miss a spot on BJP candidate lists

Another reason for the names of Ahuja, Singhal and Rawat not appearing in party’s lists so far is perhaps BJP’s bypoll loss in Alwar Lok Sabha bypoll.

BJP workers protest over ticket distribution, at Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s residence in Jaipur on Thursday. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

While declaring the names of candidates for Rajasthan, the BJP seems to be dropping rabble-rousers from its lists. The move is being seen as having imprints of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who has moved from reacting cautiously on such issues — beginning early last year with Pehlu Khan’s lynching — to coming down heavily on such elements of late, as instances of cow vigilantism and hate crimes rose in Rajasthan.

The first casualty seems to be party MLA from Ramgarh, Gyan Dev Ahuja, an avowed gau rakashak who has not been repeated from Ramgarh seat. The party has instead fielded Sukhwant Singh.

In February 2016, Ahuja had said daily 50,000 pieces of bones, 3,000 used condoms, 500 used abortion injections, 10,000 cigarette “pieces”, among other things, are found at JNU, where “girls and boys dance naked” in cultural programmes. Last December, he had said: “Smuggle or slaughter cows, and you’ll be killed.” Earlier this year, an audio clip of Ahuja had gone viral where he allegedly blamed CM Raje for the loss in Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha bypolls.

The second name is of Dhan Singh Rawat, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs and Election. He has not been repeated from Banswara, with the party instead fielding Akhdu Mahira. An FIR was lodged against Rawat a few days ago for allegedly saying that if Muslims can unite and vote for Congress, then Hindus can vote for BJP. According to police, Rawat made the alleged statement in Banswara on October 27.

The third person is BJP MLA from Alwar Urban assembly seat Banwari Lal Singhal. The party has instead fielded Sanjay Sharma.

In December last year, ahead of the Lok Sabha by polls, Singhal had said Muslims are giving birth to 8-14 children each with the sole aim of taking control of the country. “Muslims are solely worried about how to take control of the nation and thus, each couple is producing 8-14 children,” he had said.

And following death of Rakbar, who was transporting cows from Alwar to Nuh in Haryana, Singhal had said this August that Rakbar died after consuming poison.

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Uncertainty also looms over Jaswant Singh Yadav, cabinet minister for Labour and Employment, Factory and Boilers Inspection. The party has not declared its candidate for Alwar’s Behror Assembly seat, from where Yadav is an MLA. Earlier this year, during his campaign for Alwar Lok Sabha seat, Yadav allegedly asked Hindus to vote for BJP and Muslims to vote for Congress.

Another reason for the names of Ahuja, Singhal and Rawat not appearing in party’s lists so far is perhaps BJP’s bypoll loss in Alwar Lok Sabha bypoll. All three are sitting MLAs in Alwar district and Yadav was the candidate. Yadav was defeated by Congress’s Dr Karan Singh Yadav by 1.9 lakh votes.