The Hindu : '`Battle of the Rajas' in Bundelkhand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 23, 2003

National

National

'`Battle of the Rajas' in Bundelkhand

By Vinay Kumar

TIKAMGARH NOV. 22. To an outsider, they may be candidates trying their luck in the December 1 elections to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, but their popular nicknames suggest how keen they are to strike a rapport with the electorate in the Bundelkhand region. A cursory glance would reveal at least half a dozen "Rajas" and "Bhaiyas" among them.

There is Yadvendra Singh "Jaggu Raja" of the Samajwadi Party, who is locked in a triangular contest with Pramila Jain of the Congress and Akhand Pratap Singh of the BJP in the Tikamgarh constituency. In the same district, Jatara seat has Surendra Pratap Singh of the SP, who is known as "Baby Raja" among the people. He faces Saroj Yadav of the Congress and Sunil Nayak of the BJP.

In Chhatarpur seat, the tussle is between "Naati Raja" and "Munna Raja". While Kunwar Vikram Singh, who secured the SP nomination, hails from the local royal family and is known as "Naati Raja," his rival, Shankar Pratap Singh, a Congress candidate, is better known as "Munna Raja".

In the Pawai Assembly segment in the adjoining Panna district, known for its tiger reserve and diamond mines, Ashokvir Vikram Singh alias "Bhaiya Raja" is facing Girdhari Lal of the Congress, Brajendra Pratap (BJP) and Seva Lal of the BSP.

In Banda seat, Swadesh Jain "Guddu Bhaiya'' of the Congress is pitted against an independent candidate, Gopilal Sahu "Sajle Bhaiya". Similarly, in Sagar constituency, Munshi Devendra Kumar Jain is known as "Massaab" and in Rehli seat, there is Krishnakumar Richaria "Pappu", both independents. In Niwari seat, the BJP candidate, Surendra Singh, is dubbed as "Kakkaji" and in Jatara constituency, Surendra Singh Gaur, an independent, is known as "Dadda", a popular way of addressing elder brother in Madhya Pradesh.

Nitin Chaturvedi of the Congress, who is making his maiden entry in the electoral arena from Chandla seat, is called "Bunty Bhaiya". More than his "call signs", he is better known as the son of Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Congress Lok Sabha member from Khajuraho. Other "call signs" of the candidates which one can come across are Guddu, Pappu, Guddan, Chhote Munna and Munna Bhaiya. Clearly, all the Bhaiyas and Rajas have enlivened the poll scenario, at least by their nicknames.

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