Cong, BJP to slug it out in Chittor, Pratapgarh, Congress BJP in Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot , Vasundhara raje sindia, Rajasthan poll, Rajasthan assembly election.

Cong, BJP to slug it out in Chittor, Pratapgarh.

JAIPUR: Chittorgarh, the land of valour and Vijay Stambh, is the second biggest district in Udaipur division that is crucial for the political parties to win in their march to rule the state.

The district has five assembly constituencies, one of which - Kapasan - is reserved for leaders from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. In the initial post-Independence years, Chittorgarh was identified with freedom fighter Manikya Lal Varma who represented it in the Lok Sabha from 1957 to 1967.

In the recent decades, the district got identified as Lok Sabha seat of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh of BJP and current Union minister Girija Vyas of Congress. It includes two assembly segments of Udaipur district and one of Pratapgarh district.

Until the eighth assembly election in 1985, Congress had a smooth ride in the district winning almost every seat, term after term. For the first time, Chittorgarh cut loose from Congress during the 1990 assembly elections. The district then had six assembly seats and Congress could not win even a single. In the next elections of 1993 (which were post the Babri Masjid incident), Congress won just the district's Nimbahera assembly seat, from where its present legislator Udai Lal Anjana made debut.

Almost two decades later, Congress came back with a vengeance. The party won a clean sweep in the 2008 assembly elections. It fielded OBC candidates on all four unreserved constituencies of the district and won them all. The reserved seat of Kapasan also went to Congress.

The district's political scenario for the elections slated on December 1, though, looks different.

Chittorgarh

The city situated on the banks of Bedach and Gambhiri rivers is currently represented in the Vidhan Sabha by Congress's Surendra Singh Jadawat, who is counted among chief minister Ashok Gehlot's loyalists. He is likely to be fielded by the party this time also. Jadawat is said to be the first local Congress candidate on the Chittorgarh seat. He is now being credited for a series of development work in the constituency, including a railway flyover, a railway underpass, a national highway bypass, a UIT, a Nagar Parishad and a medical college.

Jadawat, however, could suffer a bit due to infighting in the local Congress. He and Nimbahera legislator Udai Lal Anjana recently had a faceoff over student politics. Anjana, being an outsider, is said to have limited influence on the Chittor electors.

For the BJP ticket from Chittorgarh, ex-MP Shrichand Kriplani, Bhagwati Devi Jhala, ex-MLA Badri Lal Jat and Chandrabhan Singh are in the fray. Ex-minister and BJP legislator from Jaipur's Vidyadhar Nagar seat, Narpat Singh Rajvi too is trying to feel the electors' pulse in Chittorgarh. He was elected legislator from here in 1993 and 2003. Rajvi, however, would be seen as a 'non-performing fleer' both at Chittor and Vidyadhar Nagar if he changes constituency this time too.

The constituency has a significant presence of Rajput, Brahmin and SC/ST communities.

Nimbahera

Congress's sitting legislator from Nimbahera, Udai Lal Anjana courted controversies first for openly criticizing and complaining against chief minister Gehlot and recently for alleged sexual exploitation of a woman for 28 years. The latter incident, in which he has been booked on criminal charges, has put a question mark on his nomination as Congress candidate this time, especially when party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has been stressing on having clean-image candidates. Nonetheless, Anjana is seen as a potential Congressman for winning the Nimbahera seat.

The constituency is dominated by Jats, Janwa (peasants) and Jains. BJP's Shrichand Kriplani, being a local, is seeking the party ticket from Nimbahera. Kriplani was MLA from here in 1990 and 1998. In 1999, Kriplani got elected as Chittorgarh MP and the vacated assembly seat was then won by Congress' Madhu Dadhich in the 2000 by-election. BJP stalwart late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was also an MLA from here from 1985 to 1990. In the eight assembly elections and a by-election between 1977 and 2008, Congress has won this seat only thrice.

Badi Sadri

Congress' Badri Sadri MLA since 2003, Prakash Chandra Chaudhary too has lately been accused of illegal operations in a distillery plant. The legislator was also in the news in April this year when he climbed on a mobile phone tower to demand shifting of these towers from his constituency. Within Congress, Chaudhary's candidature is being contested by Hanumant Singh Boheda.

The legislator, however, faces challenge from BJP's Umrao Oswal and Bhagwati Devi Jhala. The constituency is dominated by Jains and Rajputs. If the party fields a Rajput from Chittor, it would go for a Jain in Badi Sadri. BJP's Bheru Singh Chauhan's defeat in the seat by 26,500 votes in 2008 is being attributed to his non-local roots.

The seat used to be represented by leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria from 1993 to 2003. Kataria shifted to Udaipur in 2008, as the delimitation changes made that option safer for him. If Congress fields Girija Vyas from the Udaipur assembly seat this time (she is likely to face tough fight on Chittorgarh Lok Sabha seat), Kataria might move back to Badi Sadri.

Begun

In an election year when Congress witnessed landslide victories all over Chittorgarh district, it won Begun by a narrow margin of just around 640 votes. The main reason was that the party fielded a candidate who fits in the definition of a "parachute candidate", for whom vice-president Rahul Gandhi famously expressed disdain at the organisation's "Chintan Shivir" in Jaipur this year. Ironically, legislator Rajendra Singh Bidhuri publicly boasts he got the nomination directly from Congress's first family.

The constituency has Gujjar dominance to the extent that the BJP local unit has requested party president Vasundhara Raje to field her daughter-in-law Niharika Singh from here. Gujjar man Bidhuri's success in 2008 despite being "para dropped" here, too, is attributed to the community's sizable presence here. While local Congressmen Ghanshyam Jain (ex-MLA) and Jitendra Singh Rathore are contesting Bidhuri's re-nomination within the party, the BJP ticket is being claimed by three-time MLA Chunni Lal Dhakad also.

Kapasan (SC)

The delimitation of constituencies has left Chittorgarh district short by one seat. The Gangrar assembly seat was scrapped and its areas were equally distributed between Begun and Kapasan constituencies. Congress's sitting MLA Shankar Lal is said to be on a rickety surface. As many as 40 Congressmen are seeking the party ticket this time, citing anti-incumbency against him owing to his non-performance. Those leading the race for Congress ticket are R D Jawa, who is chairperson of the State Safai Karamchari Commission and is considered close to Gehlot, Shanti Lal Dhobi (who missed the ticket last time) and Anandi Lal Khatik (Youth Congress).

Congress's Shankar Lal's victory in 2008 is attributed to BJP rebel Arjun Lal, who secured nearly 43,500 votes and finished a runner-up; BJP candidate lost deposit here. The party has now re-inducted Arjun Lal, who is likely to be fielded this time. Former minister Kailash Meghwal is also eying the BJP ticket here.

Pratapgarh (ST)

Pratapgarh, earlier an assembly seat of Chittorgarh district, became a separate district in January 2008. From 1952 to 1985, Congress had a victorious run on Pratapgarh seat, with the exception of 1977 (Janata Party) and 1980 (BJP) elections. In 1990, BJP's Rikhab Chand snatched Pratapgarh from Congress for good. For the last four assembly elections, the party's Nand Lal Meena is representing the constituency in the state assembly. Though Nand Lal called it his last election in 2008, he could be fielded again this time by BJP, as the party is searching for his successor. The Congress ticket is being sought by president of district's sarpanch association Ramlal Meena.

Dhariawad (ST)

Both Congress and BJP are likely to repeat their candidates in Dhariawad in the coming elections. Sitting MLA Nagraj Meena faces anti-incumbency; K B Meena, a local lawyer is, therefore, seeking the party ticket. BJP's last time loser (by margin of over 17,600 votes) Gautam Lal Meena or his son could get the party ticket.

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