BARMER

Manvendra Singh, BJP candidate from Barmer hopes to storm the last of the Congress citadels his party has failed to win ever in Rajasthan.

Once a professional journalist and still serving as a Major in the Territorial (not regular) army, Manvendra Singh, BJP candidate and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh's son, hopes to storm the last of the safest Congress citadels his party has failed to win ever in Rajasthan.

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He is pitted in a straight fight against sitting MP Sona Ram Choudhary in the country's second largest constituency in the heart of the Thar bordering Pakistan.

Relations with Pakistan and Singh Sr.'s role in this during his tenure as a External Affairs Minister is expected to stand him in good stead in an electoral battle that is sure to end in a photo finish.

In this desert constituency where recently oil reserves have been found, Manvendra has projected himself as a suave Rajput whose acceptability crosses caste frontiers against Jat leader Sona Ram, retired as a Colonel in the Army and at loggerheads with former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who had beaten the three-term MP in the race for Rajasthan's top post.

Both the contestants are leaving no stone unturned to emerge victorous on May 13. For Singh, this is a dream chance people seldom get. The sitting MP is said to have hurt Muslims while trying to get tickets to his supporters against Amin Khan of Sheo and Abul Hadi of Chohtan, who lost the assembly polls and determined to take revenge.

The Congress leader himself admits having lost a considerable chunk of Muslim votes. "About 15-20 per cent of the Muslim may go for BJP this time," he told PTI during a whirlwind canvassing in the region. "But I am not worried, I am winning. Elections are not won by media management."

The majority Jat support numbering about three lakh, though they claim it to be about four lakh, is still intact with Choudhary. He also claims to have brought some scheduled caste votes to his fold.

"I know he (Manvendra) has immense resources at his disposal by virtue of his father's position but he is considered an outsider and representative of feudalism, people of Rajasthan have always fought," Choudhary said.

But observers say he will have to worry and act fast as things are not said to be as favourable as the last elections in 1999 when Manvendra was defeated by a margin of 32,000 votes. Even local Congress leaders admit a shift of about 50 per cent minority votes towards the BJP and none but Choudhary himself as responsible for it.

With a sizeable Rajput votes totalling about two lakh firmly in the BJP kitty and a considerable population of Brahmins numbering one lakh and Bania and Bishnois jointly accounting for another lakh, Singh knows he may be on the verge of entering the Lok Sabha for the first time and is being extra careful in not losing the initial gain he has got, albeit by default.

Not all, however, agree that it is because of Congress' own acts that Manvendra appears ahead.

"Despite his defeat in the last elections, he has always been with us through the thick and thin. Be it famine or any other issue, he has always been with us. Manvendra has behaved like an MP and got things done than Sona Ram," said BJP Office-in-Charge Ratanlal Awasthi.

Expressing confidence of registering the first BJP victory from the seat, he said both Muslims and Scheduled castes, especially the Meghwals have come out in support of Manvedra and the Congress candidate will have to taste defeat in the May 5 elections.

Train or bus to Pakistan, is an emotive issue in the border areas comprising mainly Muslims with relations on the other side of the fence and may win a few more votes in the favour of the BJP candidate whose father steals the credit for allocation of funds for the broad-gauge railway link between Barmer and Delhi besides sanctioning Rs 360 crore to pay Gujarat for the Narmada water now set to quech the thirst of the state.

In a constituency with a population of about 16 lakh, and eight assembly seats, the Congress represents only one in the Vidhan Sabha. "This," Choudhary says, "is not a barometer of the popularity of a party in the Lok Sabha elections. The two are fought with different agenda and priorities."

But Manvendra knows for certain that the 1999 elections were lost by a small percentage of votes and doesn't want to do anything to lose a battle where his opponent finds himself on a sticky wicket.

This may turn out to be beginning of a bright political career in a period when sons of almost all stalwarts are trying their luck in the political arena.

District BJP President Balram Prajapat said "but for some last minute calculations going wrong, we were very close in 1999. There would be no such mistake this time. We know it is not an easy task in a constituency like Barmer, but we are going to make history this time."

Barmer Municipal Corporation Chairman Mewaram Jain, a confidant of Choudhary, however, said Manvendra like his father is not a mass leader and cannot understand the problems of the local population in this backward area.

Local Councillor Mewaram Soni, also from the Congres camp chipped in saying "how can people have faith in a party that makes the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh hand over terrorists in Afghanistan."

Raising the son-of-soil slogan, Choudhary said "I belong to the people. I come from a farmer's family and people can easily relate to me and not with a person of royal lineage."

Asked if he saw any change in his opponent in over four years, the retired Colonel said "though not in regular army but TA where anyone below 35 can join, he has become a Major from Captain he was last time and that is the only change that I can observe."

Barmer has a history of a good turnout at the polls. During the 1999 elections, 59.32 per cent marked their presence at the polling stations, of which Congress secured 51.32 per cent.

Kasturi, one of the 7.5 lakh women voters in this constituency, lamented the political leaders for neglecting main issues like supply of drinking water, mid-day meals for school children and also social problems where youth indulged in illegal activities like smuggling and drugs.

Similar views were echoed by Kasni Surana, a school teacher in the area saying "elections were now being fought less on issues concerning the local population but international ones which would do not do any good to our lives."

In their affidavits submitted to the Election Commission, Manvendra has disclosed a property Rs 29 lakh while the sitting MP said he owned about Rs 45 lakh worth in cash and immovable property.

In this close fight, Manvendra, despite his efforts has not been able to wean away a fair chunk in the MP's home assembly area of Guda Malani and may even lag in the Barmer assembly constituency.

However, he has made inroads in the traditional Congress stronghold of Chohan and may lead in the Sheo region. Jaisalmer, a traditional Rajput belt may also come out overwhelmingly in support of the BJP as may be the case in Pachpadra.

With a tough fight on cards, the 38-year-old Singh, whose "high" status in the area as three of his ancestors have acquired sainthood and made presiding deities in the temples, doesn't depend of his father who has come to campaign for the BJP only twice this elections, has pinned a lot of hope on the Muslims who want to teach jats in the region a lesson.

Despite Sonaram's claims that Ghazi Faqir, who has a strong influence on the sizeable Sindhi Muslims in Jaisalmer area with him, people are doubtful.

BJP is praying that no last minute change overs take place as there is enough possibility there would be a lot of Muslim adults becoming first-time voters of the saffron party.

An avid Liverpool fan who regrets he would miss the English club's last match at their old stadium, is keeping his fingers crossed.

Last time it was close. This time, he has never had it so good.