Rajasthan: Tug-of-war between Congress and BJP amid crucial by polls
Raje has visited the Ajmer district ten times after the seat fell vacant. She met people of different castes, including Rajput, Brahmin, Gujjar and Meena.
In Short
- Sachin Pilot may himself contest the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat.
- Pilot had lost the seat to BJP's Sanwar Lal in the last Lok Sabha election.
- Both Congress and BJP have been gearing up for the electoral battle that lies ahead.
A political tug-of-war is currently on between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Rajasthan owing to the by elections to be held in two Lok Sabha seats and one Assembly seat.
The two Parliamentary seats, Ajmer and Alwar and one Assembly seat, Mandalgarh in Bhilwara, fell vacant after the death of BJP's Ajmer MP, Sanwarlal Jat, Alwar MP, Mahant Chand Nath and Mandalgarh MLA, Kirti Kumari.
While Chand Nath died after battling cancer, Sanwar Lal Jat, the former minister in Modi Government, passed away post cardiac arrest. Kirti Kumari succumbed to suffering swine flu.
Speculations were rife that senior Congress leader and Rajasthan PCC Chief Sachin Pilot may himself contest the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat. Pilot had lost the seat to BJP's Sanwar Lal in the last Lok Sabha election. But, Pilot, while speaking to India Today said, the party will decide, who will contest from where.
"As party President, it is my endeavour to win all the three seats, and I am being very clear. I have served the people of Ajmer for five years, when I was their MP. Today, even though I am now looking after the entire state. But still, we have to win that seat and if the party asks me to be the candidate, ofcourse, I will defeat the BJP. But, my objective is to defeat them in all the three seats.", Pilot said.
After the Dholpur by election, which the BJP won by a huge margin, the two Lok Sabha seats of Ajmer and Alwar are being considered as contests which can be a decider for the Vasundhara Raje government in the desert state.
Raje has visited the Ajmer district ten times after the seat fell vacant. She met people of different castes, including Rajput, Brahmin, Gujjar and Meena. It is being seen as an attempt to assuage people from different communities before the crucial election.
"Tomorrow, you will ask about the next State Assembly elections. Alwar, Ajmer, and Mandalgarh State Assembly, we will win all three seats. The way we had earlier won Dholpur election. Sachin Pilot ji had mentioned that Dholpur election will decide how is the Vasundhara government faring. The Dholpur election which the BJP never used to win, we won that by more than 37,000 votes. Now, we will win both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha as well, by a huge margin", Ashok Parnami, Rajasthan BJP State President, told India Today.
In political circles, BJP is believed to be keen on putting up a good show. Even though the ruling party came to power with a thumping majority, the fate of these three seats can decide whether there is pro or anti-BJP sentiment in Rajasthan.
Both the Congress and BJP realise what is at stake and have been gearing up for the electoral battle that lies ahead.
"We will win Alwar and Mandalgarh also. So far, there have been five by elections in Rajasthan. For Assembly, there have been five. We won three, BJP won two. And this, despite when they have majority in state as well as Centre. Despite all that, we have been able to win three out of five. The CM spent ten days in Ajmer because they neglected that district earlier. Therefore, now she is trying to announce schemes, give money and lure people. Because she has received reports from her party workers that they are on sticky wicket", Pilot concluded.