Constituency watch: Votes from all sections must in this once Brahmin bastion of Thanagazi
Brahmin and Meena communities each have 40,000 votes in the assembly segment that is a part of the Dausa Lok Sabha constituency.
Thanagazi assembly constituency - once a stronghold of Brahmins - has sent a Meena to the Rajasthan assembly in 2003 and a Gujjar in 2008 and 2013. In the assembly segment in Alwar, the art of winning lies in getting votes from all communities.
Brahmins and Meenas are dominant castes in the constituency. During the 2008 restructuring of assembly constituencies, 23 gram panchayats were added to Thanagazi, leading to an increase in Scheduled Caste and Meena votes. Brahmin and Meena communities each have 40,000 votes in the assembly segment that is a part of the Dausa Lok Sabha constituency.
In 2003, Kanti Prasad Meena got elected from the constituency as an Independent candidate. In 2008 and 2013 assembly elections, Hem Singh Bhadana of the BJP emerged victorious in the constituency. Meena had finished as second on both the occasions.
Bhadana, who is from the Gujjar community, is currently the state minister for motor garage in the Vasundhara Raje government. He said he was backed by the people of all castes in the previous two state elections. “I fight under party symbol and believe in mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ (development for all),” the minister said.
“I will fight election this time also on development agenda. About 10 substations of 33 KV have been installed to provide uninterrupted electricity in the area. Municipality status has been granted to Thanagazi panchayat besides opening 10 primary health centres.”
His arch-rival Meena of the National People’s Party said he would call a meeting of all communities on October 2 and take a call on his candidature in the assembly election to be held later this year. “My main aim behind calling the meeting is to convince other communities to come in my support,” he said.
Alok Sharma, Congress national spokesperson and one of contenders for party nomination, said some people were trying to make an issue, saying he was an outsider. The bigger issue, however, is that the people were fed up with candidates from two castes and will vote for a change this time, said Sharma.
Congress worker Mahendra Sharma echoed a similar sentiment, saying any candidate belonging to a caste other than Meena and Gujjar would win from the constituency this time.
Another Congress ticket hopeful Urmila Yougi said she has remained active in the constituency in the past five years and helped people during their bad times.