Whatever Deeg-Kumher decides, Singh will be king
In this Jat-dominated constituency, both Cong and BJP have pitched two tall community leaders against one another
DEEG (BHARATPUR): The contest in Deeg-Kumher assembly constituency in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district is of interest for many reasons.
One, the BJP is touting it as a “commoner versus royalty” contest — BJP MLA Digamber Singh, 62, has been pitted against former MP and member of the erstwhile royal family of Bharatpur, 51-year-old Vishvendra Singh, who is representing the Congress. Two, it is a Jatdominated contest and both candidates belong to this community, and even share the same gotra — Sinsinwar. Three, oldtimers in Bharatpur say Vishvendra was once a mentor to Digamber when both were in the BJP.
“There is a Raja on one side and your humble servant on the other. Please opt for the servant who can serve you round the clock,’’ says Digamber at Guhawali village. Vishvendra counters it with: “I think it is a completely wrong projection. I am more of a commoner than Digamber Singh… In 1989 when I was 27, I beat Rajesh Pilot from Bharatpur in the Lok Sabha poll. Had I been inaccessible, I could not have come this far in politics.”
Deeg and Kumher were two separate assembly constituencies prior to the 2008 elections. After the delimitation exercise, the two were combined and re-carved into the Deeg-Kumher assembly seat. It is primarily a Jat-dominated constituency and the erstwhile Jat royals Raja Man Singh, his daughter Krishnendra Kaur and Arun Singh have been winning from here for years now. Vishvendra is from the same family.
Digamber, on the other hand, is supposed to have a good rapport with former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and was rewarded with a cabinet berth in the BJP government led by her. Figuring that he was being politically marginalised, Vishvendra switched sides and joined the Congress. Nevertheless, in 2008, Digamber defeated him by about 3,500 votes.
“I was the one who got him a BJP ticket in the 2003 elections. I was a BJP MP from Bharatpur then. But after becoming an MLA, Digamber lost his balance and became arrogant,’’ says Vishvendra.
He also claims that during Congress rule (2008-13) he tried bringing potable water to Bharatpur from Chambal, got land allotted for a police training centre, gave the area an agricultural college and even got ` 10 crore sanctioned for heritage city Deeg.
I AM MORE OF A COMMONER THAN DIGAMBER SINGH… IN 1989 I BEAT RAJESH PILOT FROM BHARATPUR... HAD I BEEN INACCESSIBLE, I COULD NOT HAVE COME THIS FAR IN POLITICS
VISHVENDRA SINGH, Congress candidate from Deeg-Kumher