It's like a commando course: Rathore

Olympic silver-medalist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is enjoying his new avatar as a politico saying it is like a quick commando course and exudes confidence of hitting the bulls eye in a battle of “electoral era of past and future” against Congress veteran C P Joshi.

Rathore, 44, who retired from the army last year as a Colonel and joined BJP, is contesting from Jaipur (Rural) constituency in Rajasthan and is pitted against Congress heavyweight and sitting Bhilwara MP Joshi.

“I have jumped into a deep sea without any life jacket as I love challenges. I had already achieved a very high level in shooting and I am very comfortable with the knowledge I have. Now I am like a second lieutenant of army, absolutely alert to the environment and absorbing the things,” he said.

“I am in LKG and in a short span of time I need to be a graduate. It’s like a short commando course for me and I am loving the learning bit of it,” said the double trap shooter.

Rathore wanted to contest from Chittor but BJP fielded him in Jaipur rural, dominated by Brahmin and Jat communities. The constituency goes to the polls on April 17. Himself a Rajput, Rathore feels people will this time vote beyond caste equations.

“People, especially youth, will vote beyond caste equations this time. The constituency does not belong to people of my caste, hence it was a conscious decision of BJP to put me here. My opponents have come with the mindset of engineering a caste divide,” he said.

“This will be a battle of electoral era of past and future and I am confident of people here,” he added.

Jaipur (Rural) constituency has eight assembly segments and bad roads, electricity and drinking water are some of the main poll issues. He is also harping on BJP’s impressive show in the Rajasthan assembly elections.

On whether he is finding it difficult to adjust in politics, he said, “People say I came from a disciplined force to an undisciplined one, but I find many similarities that are amazing.
 Army is bound by written rules and regulations that are strictly abided by whereas, when an election rally is conducted, thousands of people are associated with it. There are no written rules but it works with amazing amount of discipline and no financial gains.”

“In sports, I was representing my country but in politics I represent people directly. In army, it was the existence of the sanctity of nation and the men I was commanding and in sports it was the pride of my country while in politics it is the rights of citizens I am fighting for,” said the ace shooter.