In poverty-ridden Mewar, candidates own flashy SUVs
BHILWARA: The Mewar region is a tribal and backward area where starvation and malnutrition are common problems, but the candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from here own expensive sports utility vehicles.
The malnutrition rate is as high as 75% in some areas, but political leaders are campaigning in costly vehicles. Many candidates have declared that they own vehicles costing over 10 lakh such as Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mahindra Scorpio, Tavera, and Honda City.
Topping the list is Congress party Bhilwara candidate Ashok Chandna, president of Rajasthan Youth Congress who possesses the largest fleet of seven vehicles worth 1.27 crore. His inventory of vehicles includes Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Scorpio, Mitsubishi Pajero, Swift, and three Tata Trailers each worth 20 lakh.
He is followed by Congress candidate from BanswaraDungrpur Resham Malviya, marble businessman and BJP candidate Hari Om Singh Rathore and tribal reserved constituency Udaipur’s BJP candidate Arjun Lal Meena who has two official wives too.
Congress candidate Raghuveer Singh Meena from Udaipur, basically a farmer, has a Tata Safari, a Bolero and a Maruti Swift Dzire, according to information filed by him.
Subhash Bahedia, a textile tycoon, who is said to be the richest candidate in this region with personal wealth of over 15 crore usually travels in Mercedes and Ambassador cars and does not possess any of these. Not a single vehicle is in his own name. Former MP and BJP legislator Bahedia is contesting from Bhilwara parliament constituency against Ashok Chandna who has seven vehicles in his own name.
Union minister for urban development and housing and Congress candidate Girija Vyas who is contesting for a second term from Chittorgarh has declared that she owns a Honda City and a Mahindra Jeep. Her rival BJP candidate Chandra Prakash Joshi, by profession a civil contractor and party president possesses a Mahindra SUV.
Man Shankar Ninama, BJP candidate from Banswara-Dungarpur, is a tribal having a motorcycle and a tractor which are used by him for agricultural purposes. He is campaigning in a Bolero hired by the party.
His Congress rival, former Zila Pramukh Resham Malviya has a Mahindra Scorpio and a Toyota Fortuner. Resham’s husband a former cabinet minister in Ashok Gehlot government looks after her campaign using a high tech system. JAIPUR: During surprise raids ahead of LS polls, a truck loaded with liquor consignment worth lakhs of rupees was seized by a flying squad at Mehandwas area of Tonk district, officials said today.
In another raid, a car carrying ten kg of opium valuing worth Rs 5 lakh was seized at Pindwara in Sirohi district, an official said quoting the Chief Election Office.
The truck was on its way to Rajasthan from Haryana, when it was intercepted by the flying squad set up on the direction of EC, he said.
One case was registered under excise act, while another under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) act, added the official.
PTI