At a popular Bhati tea stall in Ratanada, the hot brew flows in abundance, with glasses magically appearing and disappearing with an unusual alacrity. What is usual, however, is the spirited atmosphere that hangs about in any place that is going to polls.
Across the road lies the limits to Sardarpura constituency, one of the poll-bound state’s high-profile seats. Senior Congressman and two-time CM Ashok Gehlot, who has won from here four terms as an MLA, is pitted against BJP’s Shambhu Singh Khetasar.
Gehlot, who is widely popular, enjoys a great deal of loyalty in the constituency. Government employee and Sardarpura voter Md Hanif says what works for Gehlot is that he is known as infallible, and as someone whose doors are always open to people from his constituency, even in his office in Delhi as the party’s general secretary.
For most of the constituency’s 1.14 lakh male voters, caste is the key. Of the constituency’s 2.20 lakh voters, Gehlot seems to enjoy the favour of the 40,000-odd voters of his own community, Mali, as well as near 30,000 Muslims.
The Rajputs, who account to about 25,000-30,000 voters, have traditionally been BJP voters. But after the Samrau village violence, it seems the BJP has fallen out of favour.
Gopal Singh Bhalasariya, a Congress worker, says this was a great opportunity for the Congress. “The candidate lists, one after the other, however failed us. Of the 33 seats in Marwar, the Congress did not field a single Rajput in our traditional seats of Lohawat, Osian, Jaisalmer, and Mahauli. The voter is silent, but the leaders must know that a surprise is in the offing,” said Bhalasariya.
Khetasar, who lost to Gehlot the last term by 18,000 votes, is quite popular, especially among Rajput voters. He is, however, yet to win an election. He sounds confident of a win and says it is not only the Rajputs but a large section of Muslims and even Malis are miffed with Gehlot.
“He has ensured that no one, be it a Mali or someone from another caste, rises within the party. He represented this constituency for two decades, once as a chief minister, and yet there is a lot left to be desired. He says CM Raje did not pay attention to Sardarpura this term, and if that is the case then he should have either protested in the Assembly or resigned,” said Khatesar.
As for the women, security and education are issues of priority. “There have been talks of a metro, but what Sardarpur needs is better educational facilities, so that women do not need to travel far. After 9 pm, this city is a no-go area for us,” says Moomal Shekhawat, a college student.
