BJP chief J P Nadda in Rajasthan's Kota to deliberate over seats, galvanise workers

He is likely to deliberate over the 17 Assembly seats spread over the Hadoti region, results of which will have an impact on the standing of the saffron party in Rajasthan Assembly.

Jaipur: Rapid infrastructure development accompanied with inadequate industrialisation and employment opportunities are poll issues in Hadoti region that may affect the prospects of both Congress and BJP this time.

To motivate party workers, BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday visited Kota and is also likely to deliberate over the 17 Assembly seats spread over the Hadoti region, results of which will have an impact on the standing of the saffron party in Rajasthan Assembly.

Hadoti region, which comprises four districts Kota, Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar, has been traditionally a BJP stronghold. Despite the Congress wave in 2018, BJP was able to retain 10 seats out of the 17, leaving only seven for the Congress.

“But this time there is no wave for any of the two big parties in the region. One must also note there is no wave against the Congress this time. Congress might just get repeated. This was never heard before. May be because of the innumerable welfare schemes, especially in the rural areas,” says Abshar Quazi, a political observer in Kota.

“Neither industrialisation nor employment opportunities have been generated. Only infrastructure has been developed in the cities, especially Kota. A good road network has been established in the Jhalawar region. The farmers, plagued by the low market prices and bumper crops, are unhappy.”

He adds, “Despite presence of two big leaders from the BJP, Vasundhara Raje and Lok Speaker Om Birla, who have been winning from the region for the last 20 years, there is still no airport in Kota, a promise which leaders of both parties haven’t fulfilled. Despite becoming country’s coaching destination, with over two lakh students flocking to Kota and generating lakhs of revenue, there has been no attempt to build an airport. No party has been able to bring agro-processing industries to the region. Jhalawar, which is also known as the ‘Nagpur of Rajasthan,’ for its juicy orange production, doesn’t have any agro processing units till now. Oranges are perishable and hence agro-processing would have been apt.”

Jhalawar has, however, witnessed infrastructure development like roads, hospitals, medical colleges.”

Despite the lacunae, BJP has never fared poorly in the Hadoti region. In 2008 elections, Congress won 10 while BJP settled for 7. In 2013, when BJP amassed a landslide victory, Hadoti region gave BJP 16 seats out of the total of 17, leaving Hindoli constituency for the Congress.

BJP has always performed well from the region because of a strong RSS background here. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani often visited the region. In fact, the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the state, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, won from Chhabra in Baran district in 1977 in a bypoll. Rajasthan’s first woman Chief Minister Raje also comes from this region, having won Jhalarapatan the last four times.

So, Hadoti and its 17 Assembly constituencies assume importance for both the parties.

“Despite controversy on the Chambal riverfront beautification project over environmental clearances, Kota as a city has been transformed. There has been rapid infrastructure development in the city but as of now there is no clarity on which side the wind is blowing,” says Janardan Gupta, a resident and a senior marketing professional.

While Nadda has time and again galvanised his workers by stressing on booth management and connecting with people, he also reminded them that “party is their identity, they are there because of the party and not the other way round.”

Sources say despite its good performance in the last few elections, BJP is sceptical about six seats namely Hindoli (Bundi), where Congress has won four times in the last five elections, Kota North, which is dominated by Congress minister and Gehlot’s confidante Shanti Dhariwal, Anta (Baran) which is Congressman Pramod Jain Bhaya’s stronghold and Kishanganj (Baran), where BJP has won only once in the last five elections.

Sangod (Kota) from where Bharat Singh from Congress won in 2008 and 2018, may be a difficult seat for the BJP. Bharat Singh has, however, refused to fight MLA elections and claimed that he may contest if Om Birla is pitted against him. He had earlier advised Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to give up chief ministership and make way for the youth.