Contesting polls a matter of family legacy

For some, the December 1 Assembly polls in Rajasthan is a fight to keep their family’s political legacy alive.

Kin of veteran politicians Natwar singh, Jaswant Singh, Ramniwas Mirdha, Nathuram Mirdha, Parasram Maderna and Khet Singh Rathore are some of those in the fray to keep up the family’s long political tradition.

Harendra Mirdha, son of veteran Congress leader Ramniwas Mirdha, has turned a rebel and is contesting as an independent from Nagaur after the Congress refused him a ticket.  He had won in 1993 and 1998 Assembly elections and was a minister in the first Gehlot cabinet. But he lost the 2003 and 2008 elections.

Richpal Singh Mirdha, nephew of Nathuram Mirdha, is the Congress candidate from Degana. Leela Maderna, daughter-in-law of Parasram Maderna and wife of former minister Mahipal Maderna, is contesting from the family pocket borough of Osian.

Hemendra Mirdha is also the son-in-law of Parasram Maderna. Priyanka Chaudhary, daughter-in-law of former minister Gangaram, is the BJP candidate from Barmer.

Manavendra Singh, son of former external affairs minister and BJP leader Jaswant Singh, is contesting on a BJP ticket from Sheo.  Amari Devi (82), wife of late senior Congress leader Ramsingh Bishnoi, is contesting from Luni to keep her husband’s political legacy alive. Her son, Malkhan Singh, who was representing the seat is in jail along with Mahipal Maderna for his connection with the Bhanwari Devi murder case.

Khet Singh Rathore’s grandson, Ummed, is in the fray as a Congress candidate from Shergarh constituency. Khet Singh has won seven out of the 10 times he contested from this seat. In Kaman constituency, Jagat Singh, son of former external affairs minister Natwar Singh, is trying his luck on a BJP ticket.

Natwar Singh and his son fell out with the Congress after the former was removed from the post of external affairs minister in 2005.