Jaipur: Hadoti has witnessed rapid infrastructure development. That is it! This region in Rajasthan has not matched that up with adequate industrialisation or employment generation, the twin issues that may affect the prospects of both the Congress and the BJP this time.
Hadoti region, comprising the four districts of Kota, Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar, is spread across 17 Assembly seats. This region has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. In fact, despite the Congress wave in 2018, the BJP was able to retain 10 of the 17 seats, leaving only seven for the Congress.
The BJP is, therefore, trying its best to ensure party workers are motivated during this electoral race, as the region has its own set of unaddressed issues.
As a first step, party president J P Nadda is on a visit to the country's private coaching destination, Kota, on Wednesday, where he may also deliberate over the 17 Assembly seats, the results of which will have an impact on the party's imprint in the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly.
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, and they are there because of the party and not the other way round”.
RSS influence
But the BJP has never fared poorly in the Hadoti region. In 2008 elections, the Congress won 10, while the BJP settled for 7. In 2013, when the BJP amassed a landslide victory, the Hadoti region gave the BJP 16 of the 17, leaving the Hindoli constituency for the Congress.
The BJP has always performed well from the region because of a strong RSS influence here. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani have 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, Vasundhara Raje, also comes from this region, having won Jhalarapatan the last four times.
No perceptible wave
"This time, there is no wave for any of the two big parties in the region," claimed Abshar Quazi, a political observer in Kota. "There is also no wave against the Congress this time. The Congress might just get repeated. This was never heard before. Maybe because of the innumerable welfare schemes, especially in the rural areas,” he said.
“But 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. But the farmers, plagued by the low market prices and bumper crops, are unhappy,” he added.
“Despite the presence of two big leaders from the BJP, 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 have not fulfilled. Over two lakh students flock to Kota, generating lakhs of rupees as revenue. But there has been no attempt to build an airport," Quazi said.
No agro-industry
Talking about the under-utilisation of the region's agro potential, Quazi said Jhalawar, which was also known as the 'Nagpur of Rajasthan', for its juicy orange production, did not have any agro-processing units. "Oranges are perishable and, hence, agro-processing units would have been apt. Jhalawar has, however, witnessed infrastructure development like roads, hospitals and medical colleges," he added.
Kota, a transformed city
“Despite controversy on the Chambal riverfront beautification project over environmental clearances, Kota as a city has been transformed. There has been rapid infrastructure development, 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.
The 6 shaky seats
Sources say despite its good performance in the last few elections, the BJP is sceptical about six seats, Hindoli (Bundi), where the 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 the BJP has won only once in the last five elections.
Sangod (Kota) from where Bharat Singh from the Congress has 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.