Kalla returns as Cong nominee to spice up Bikaner poll contest
The Congress has fielded former Rajasthan Congress president BD Kalla from the Bikaner (West) assembly constituency against BJP’s Gopal Joshi, a brother-in-law of Kalla, spicing up the contest in the town famous for ‘bhujia’ (a popular crispy snack).
The Congress had dropped Kalla in the first list on the ground that he lost from the constituency twice in a row. The party had fielded district Congress president Yashpal Gehlot from Bikaner (West) in its first list announced on November 15. But in its third list announced on Sunday, the party shifted Gehlot to Bikaner (East) and fielded Kalla from Bikaner (West).
Bikaner was split into two constituencies after the delimitation in 2008. Kalla has been MLA from Bikaner in 1980, 1985, 1990, 1998 and 2003. In 2008 and 2013, he lost to BJP’s Gopal Joshi who owns a chain of sweet and snack shops.
Joshi was not keen on contesting this time. “I am almost 85 and will be happy if the party chose
BIKANER:
someone young from my family,” he had said a month ago. Joshi was batting for a BJP ticket to his grandson, Vijay Mohan Joshi.
His son, Gokul Joshi, and BJP district president Satya Prakash Acharya were also aspirants for the party ticket. But the BJP decided to go ahead with the octogenarian. “The chief minister has reposed faith in me, so I will deliver the goods,” Gopal Joshi said after the announcement of his ticket.
Kalla said love of Bikaner people for him forced the Congress leadership to change its decision. “Bikaner ki janta mera pariwar hai isiliye alakamaan ne mujh par vishwas jataya hai,” he said. “I worked for the people round the clock and responded immediately to their problems. I performed my duties with a progressive approach.” Locals said the BJP and the Congress have neglected the city. Both the parties have ignored issues, such as a rail bypass, a rail overbridge, a high court bench and lack of civic amenities, said Niraj Gupta, a local.
Ram Krishna Das Gupta, a senior advocate, said, “Bikaner has been the last priority, be it a central university or a high court bench. Lower courts were decentralised but the high court demand was ignored. When they can spend crores in useless programmes and schemes, why can they not spare a few crores for building a rail bypass?”