Jodhpur presents, perhaps, the keenest contest in Rajasthan in these Lok Sabha elections. If, on the one side, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav makes his electoral debut, on the other side, is sitting MP and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is said to enjoy the confidence of the central leadership of the BJP.
And if Shekhawat's campaign is hinged on the brand value of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vaibhav's candidature rides on the popularity and influence of his father in the constituency, virtually making it a clash between PM Modi and CM Gehlot.
That the 51-year-old Shekhawat is a formidable candidate is evident from the mammoth margin with which he had won the 2014 Lok Sabha election—4.10 lakh votes. He is said to be close to the Modi-Shah combine and has the firm backing of the RSS. Also, the constituency is Rajput-dominated, a factor that Shekhawat would be hoping would work in his favour. A victory in this election could consolidate his position in state politics as he strives to emerge as a challenger in the BJP to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
On the other hand, the stakes are high for Gehlot, with son Vaibhav in the fray. It is a battle of prestige for the Rajasthan chief minister, who is pitching in with all it takes to ensure a victory for the Congress. Gehlot has won five Lok Sabha polls from the constituency. Enjoying the reputation of being a master strategist, Gehlot is monitoring the election campaign himself, coordinating with local party functionaries and reaching out to representatives of different political parties.
Also, in 2014, when Shekhawat won Jodhpur, seven out of the eight MLAs in the constituency were from the BJP. In the 2018 December Assembly elections, the BJP could win only two of the eight Assembly segments.
However, BJP leaders claim that the voter will vote very differently in the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan compared with the Assembly polls, which were held just a few months ago, and in which the Congress emerged victorious. In the post-Balakot scenario, Shekhawat's campaign focuses on nationalism and the need for a strong leader like Modi to safeguard the country's interests.
“Modiji gave a befitting reply to our enemies. He will not allow anyone to harm our country. The sacrifice of our jawans will not be forgotten,” Shekhawat tells a gathering in Jodhpur city. And then he gets off the stage to felicitate first-time voters amid slogans of Desh Nahi Rukne Doonga, Desh Nahi Jhukne Doonga, Desh Nahi Mitne Doonga.
The post-Balakot setting offers the BJP the opportunity to play on nationalism, which is an area of strength for the BJP. This sentiment is even more pronounced in Jodhpur, which is close to the international border with Pakistan. Shekhawat's campaign also focuses on projecting PM Modi as a decisive leader who is not afraid to take bold decisions.
In contrast, and in a deliberate attempt to shift the election discourse away from nationalism, the Congress campaign in Jodhpur focuses on local issues. A big talking point for the Congress in Jodhpur is the non-inclusion of Rajasthan's second-largest city in the smart city project. Local issues such as poor urban infrastructure in the city, traffic woes and unauthorised construction are being taken up by the party.
“The BJP government has neglected Jodhpur. The infrastructure has completely collapsed, be it roads or water supply. It is the second-biggest city in Rajasthan, but it was not included in the smart city project. There is tremendous anger amongst the people with regard to that,” said the 39-year-old Vaibhav.
Also, if Shekhawat is banking on the support of the Rajputs, Vaibhav is counting on the backing of Other Backward Classes, especially the Mali community, which the Gehlots belong to, as also the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and Muslims.
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If Shekhawat is criss-crossing the state with his high-decibel campaign trying to whip up nationalistic fervour, Vaibhav's is a quieter outreach programme, which aims at projecting him as Jodhpur ka beta, and he can be seen touching the feet of elders and stopping to interact with youngsters during his campaign tours.
Two contrasting campaigns in a battle of prestige in Jodhpur and a lot at stake for both the contestants.