The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : BJP finally manages to capture Barmer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

Other States

Other States - Rajasthan

BJP finally manages to capture Barmer

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MAY 13. The resounding victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party on 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan was facilitated by the impressive vote share obtained by some of the key candidates of the party, including the popular cine star, Dharmendra, and two young inheritors of political legacy of their parents.

The Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh's son, Manvendra Singh, and the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundara Raje's son, Dushyant Singh, make their debut in Parliament now by defeating their Congress rivals by huge margins from Barmer and Jhalawar, respectively. Their election campaigns were marked by a conspicuous emphasis on the achievements of their parents.

Mr.Manvendra Singh trounced the three-time winner of the Congress, Sona Ram, by the highest margin of 271,888 votes in the State, winning the Barmer seat for the BJP for the first time since independence. Mr.Dushyant Singh defeated the Congress novice, Sanjay Gujjar, by 81,579 votes to win the Jhalawar seat.

The popular film actor of yesteryear and the BJP candidate, Dharmendra, romped home from Bikaner, following a high-pitched election campaign joined by his star sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. Both Bollywood stars descended on the town shortly before the polls to help in "Papa's victory". Dharmendra defeated the Congress member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, Rameshwar Dudi, by a comfortable margin of 55,836 votes.

In the Congress camp, 26-year-old Sachin Pilot, staking his claim as successor to his father, Rajesh Pilot, waded through the rough and tuble of caste politics in Dausa to uphold his parental legacy. He defeated Kartar Singh Bhadana of the BJP - who had resigned as a Minister in the Om Prakash Chautala Government in Haryana - by a huge margin of 114,865 votes.

Among the three Union Minsiters in the fray - Subhash Maharia (Sikar), Kailash Meghwal (Tonk) and Jaskaur Meena (Sawai Madhopur) - Ms.Meena was trounced by a former Indian Police Service officer, Namonarain Meena of Congress, by a big margin of 111,163 votes. Mr. Meena had joined the fray after resigning as the member of the State Human Rights Commission.

The Congress stalwarts who suffered a humiliating defeat included the former Lok Sabha Speaker, Balram Jakhar (Churu); former Union Minister, Buta Singh (Jalore); former president of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, Girija Vyas (Udaipur); and the present PCC president, Narain Singh (Sikar).

However, the senior Congress leader and former Union Minister, Shees ram Ola, was among the four victorious candidates of the party. He defeated Santosh Ahlawat of BJP by a narrow margin of 23,355 votes from Jhunjhunu, even as Ranveer Singh Gudha of the Lok Janshakti Party registered his presence in the constituency by polling over 111,000 votes.

Even though the BJP succeeded in reducing the Congress' tally of nine in the dissolved Lok Sabha to only four, its strategy of fielding the candidates hailing from neighbouring Haryana did not work to its advantage. Besides Mr.Bhadana who lost in Dausa, Mahant Chand Nath - a priest from Haryana - who was pitted in Alwar against the Congress candidate and sitting MLA, Karan Singh Yadav, was also defeated.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Credit should go to Sonia: Gehlot

BJP finally manages to capture Barmer