Pak Hindu immigrants hurt BJP’s poll prospects in four Rajasthan assembly seats

Long-pending demands: Party lost four of eight constituencies it had won last time where settlers hold sway

The Pakistani Hindu immigrants appear to have given a jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which lost most of the constituencies where the settlers influence the poll results.

Community members said they are expecting the Congress to fulfil the poll promises by finding solution to their issues. (HT Photo)

According to government data, more than 500,000 immigrants are settled in around 1,000 villages of six Rajasthan districts: 250,000 in Barmer; 75,000 each in Jaisalmer and Bikaner; 50,000 in Jodhpur; and the remaining in Jaipur, Jalore, Ganganagar, Pali and other parts of the state.

After Narendra Modi raised the issue of Hindu immigrants from the neighbouring country during the campaign for the 2013 assembly elections and assured a reasonable solution for them, they voted for the BJP, resulting in the party winning most of the seats where they hold influence.

Around 150,000 immigrants affect poll outcome in eight constituencies in the western region. These are Chohtan, Barmer and Sheo (in Barmer district), Sursagar (in Jodhpur district), Kolayat and Khajuwala (in Bikaner district), Anupgarh (in Sri Ganganagar district) and Jaisalmer.

In 2013, the BJP won six of these (Chohtan, Sheo, Jaisalmer, Sursargar, Khajuwala and Anupgarh). This time, however, it won two (Sursagar and Anupgarh).

Voters said they were disappointed because the BJP “did not fulfil” its promises made to them.

Gobind Bheel, a resident in Jodhpur, said the BJP had “ignored” the community.

“We are hopeful that the Congress will fulfil its commitments,” he said.

Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, an organisation working for the immigrants in the border districts, said during the last election, the BJP had added immigrants issue in its election manifesto. “The ministry of home affairs announced a vigorous legal regime for the immigrants around 28 months ago but most of its contents have not been implemented at the ground level,” he said. Sodha said due to the poor delivery of services, the community is “upset” with the BJP.

He said that now they are expecting the Congress to fulfil the poll promises by providing reasonable solution to the community’s long-pending issues.

In its manifesto for the 2018 polls, the BJP had only one mention for the Pakistani immigrants — that action will be taken to give citizenship to those without it.

Earlier, during the 2013 assembly election, the BJP had paid a lot of attention to the community while assuring them residential, financial and institutional facilities.

Contrary to the BJP, the Congress gave priority to the issues of the community. In its election manifesto, the party promised “overall development” of Pakistani Hindu immigrants.

The party promised to address citizenship and rehabilitation issues. It said that a large number of Pakistani Hindu immigrants residing in various parts of the state belong to the weaker section.

The Congress promised that it will form a separate body so that their issues could be addressed in a planned manner. It also assured of taking positive steps towards ensuring employment, health and education facilities to them.

What also likely hurt the BJP’s chances was its decision to refuse ticket to Tarunrai Kaga, who had immigrated from Pakistan in 1971 and was the legislator from Chohtan assembly constituency.

The immigrants said that when the BJP had given representation to the community by fielding one of their own, they had a reason to support the BJP but this time the party “disappointed” them.

Tarunrai Kaga said that it is a fact that the BJP did not incorporate comprehensive commitments for the community. Kaga said that being a member of the party, he had worked for the BJP but it could not be denied that the immigrant community was upset with the saffron party.

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The community’s demands

The Pakistani migrants want Indian citizenship for those still without it. Every week, a large number of them travel into the country from the international Thar Express

The community wants refugee status, rehabilitation, backward class reservation, employment, simplification of visa rules, delegate citizenship powers, and work permit

They have also been demanding a halt of the Thar Express in Barmer, removal of restriction on their entry to the west of the national highway 15 to meet relatives across the border