Whatever Deeg-Kumher decides, Singh will be king
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 DEEG-KUMHER Sitting MLA: Digamber Singh (BJP) Cong candidate: Vishvendra Singh
191 polling stations Total voters Male Female 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. VISHVENDRA SINGH, Congress candidate from Deeg-Kumher BIKANER: The moment Siddhi Kumari’s open jeep roars into Udairamsar, locals looking out for her arrival start showering flower petals on her, men offer garlands and all of a sudden things take on a festive colour.
The 40-year-old member of the erstwhile royal family of Bikaner and the BJP MLA from Bikaner (East) is dressed in a white cotton salwar suit teamed with a pink and orange chiffon dupatta. As she descends from the vehicle and greets the crowd with a khamma ganni (traditional greeting), it makes quite the perfect poll picture.
She is accompanied by an entourage of women — friends from her school days in Bikaner — who have come from different parts of the country to help her campaign. Her mother, Padma Kumari, is also lending a helping hand.
“Despite being in opposition, I have ensured the development of the area. But a lot still needs to be done,” says Siddhi Kumari, who has been pitted against Gopal Lal Gahlot, 49, of the Congress, who left the BJP after being denied the ticket.
Udairamsar village has more than 6,000 voters; Siddhi Kumari’s convoy halts at every village ‘chowk’, and she ends up spending three hours in the place.
Sharda Devi, a home-maker, is all praise for her. “She has tried her best and like her ancestors taken good care of us.” But not everybody in the BJP agrees with this version of things. About six months ago, the elected district working committee of the BJP complained to the state party chief, Vasundhara Raje, that since her election in 2008, Siddhi had remained absent from Bikaner most of the time and demanded that she be denied the ticket this year. Raje, however, ignored all complaints, dismissed the committee and went ahead and fielded her protégé from Bikaner (East) again.
Siddhi Kumari, however, shrugs aside these allegations. “I have always been here and among you people. I never sat idle.”
FACE-OFF In this Jat-dominated constituency, both Cong and BJP have pitched two tall community leaders against one another
BIKANER (EAST)
Sitting MLA: Siddhi Kumari (BJP) Cong candidate: Gopal Lal Gahlot 176 polling stations
Total voters Male Female