Rahul’s roadshows in east Rajasthan to hit Vasundhara Raje, Mayawati

JAIPUR: A day after Mayawati announced to go solo in Rajasthan elections, Congress charted out a plan to hold road-shows of Rahul Gandhi in the state’s BSP strongholds bordering Uttar Pradesh on October 9.
Rahul would begin the road-shows from Maniya in Rajakhera constituency of Dholpur, which is home district of chief minister Vasundhara Raje. The CM, who has been contesting from Jhalrapatan in Jhalawar district (south-east Rajasthan) since 2003, is now said to be looking for a ‘safe’ seat in Dholpur. The Congress could be aiming to hit both Raje and BSP with its show of strength in eastern Rajasthan just before the state elections.

From Maniya (Rajakhera), Rahul’s road-show would travel through Dholpur, Bari, Baseri, Bayana, Weir and Mahuwa assembly areas before reaching Jaipur late evening the same day (covering over 200-kms). The next day (October 10), Rahul would fly to Bikaner to address a public rally in north-west Rajasthan, which is home to leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi.

It is, however, the eastern districts of Dholpur, Bharatpur and Dausa where Rahul’s presence would raise the political pitch ahead of state elections as the Congress president would be travelling there soon after BSP supremo Mayawati’s outburst against his party. Accusing Congress leader Digvijay Singh of sabotaging the proposed Congress-BSP alliance in states going to polls in next two months, Mayawati had announced on Wednesday that her party would contest Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections without any tie-up the grand old party.

The constituencies through which Rahul would be travelling have a significant BSP support. Though BSP does not have a single MLA from the three districts of Dholpur, Bharatpur and Dausa at present, its candidates have finished second or third in most of the assembly seats in the region. On 10 of the 16 assembly constituencies in the three districts, BSP is a force to reckon with. Baseri in Dholpur and Bayana and Weir in Bharatpur are seats reserved for SC candidates.

BSP began to contest elections in Rajasthan in 1990 but won for the first time in 1998 when its two candidates got elected from Nagar (Bharatpur) and Bansur (Alwar). It today has notable presence in seven districts, which include Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Churu and Jhunjhunu. Its highest toll so far has been six seats in 2008, but all its MLAs defected to the ruling Congress then. BSP’s overall vote share in the state has varied from less than 1% to a little under 8%.