Date:14/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/14/stories/2008111454150400.htm

New Delhi

Rebels, caste big issues in Jat heartland

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Most of the 10 constituencies see a direct fight between traditional rivals -- BJP and Congress

NEW DELHI: A number of factors such as denial of election tickets to local candidates by prominent political parties, differences of senior leaders with their party over ticket distribution, and the role of rebel candidates would play a major role in determining the results of the 10 Assembly segments falling in the North West Delhi parliamentary constituency that goes to the polls on November 29.

While several of the Assembly segments here have a large Jat population, the Congress has given tickets to only two from the community -- Narela and Nangloi. It has angered Jats in Mundka, Kirari and Rithala. By not giving a ticket to Outer Delhi MP Sajjan Kumar’s son Jag Parvesh from Kirari, the party has not done any good to the morale of the man who still commands the maximum respect in Jat community in the area.

In Narela, there is a multi-cornered fight with Jaswant Rana of the Congress and Ajit Khatri of the BJP facing stiff opposition from Sharad Kumar Chauhan of the BSP and a Congress rebel, Raj Khatri. While the Congress and the BJP are banking on their supporters, Mr. Chauhan being a Rajput is depending on the votes of the five villages in which the community is present in large numbers. Likewise, Mr. Khatri is a Jat leader who enjoys backing in about 10 villages.

The fight for Badli is much more direct with Municipal Councillor Devender Yadav of the Congress taking on Rajesh Yadav of the BJP. Though the BSP, the RJD and the SP have fielded candidates, they do not appear to be posing any serious threat.

The case is similar in Rithala where the Congress has fielded Shambhu Dayal Sharma, a Brahmin, opposite sitting MLA Kulwant Rana of the BJP. Riding the “elephant” is Rambir Singh but the contest is mainly between the two traditional rivals.

For Bawana MLA Surender Kumar of the Congress, the fight against his BJP rival and former MLA Chand Ram in this reserved constituency is going to be anything but a cake-walk as this time the BSP candidate Ram Chander is also expected to take a significant number of votes.

In Mundka, former MLA and Congress candidate P.C. Kaushik, who got his ticket courtesy Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, seems unable to get his campaign going and this is keeping former Chief Minister Sahib Singh’s relative Azad Singh and former Delhi Transport Minister Devinder Shokeen – who were denied tickets by the BJP – from supporting him against the party nominee Manoj Shokeen.

Being a Brahmin, Dr. Kaushik may find the going tough as this is a Jat-dominated constituency. The BSP had changed two candidates before settling on Jasbir; as such he has problems of his own to contend with.

In Kirari, the Congress has fielded a two-time former Councillor, Shabnam Riyaz, to woo Muslims and women while the BJP has fielded a former student leader, Anil Jha, a Poorvanchali. While the fight is seen to be between them and much would depend on how Mr. Sajjan Kumar would campaign, a BJP rebel, Pushpraj who had got Nationalist Congress Party ticket would give them a run for their money since he is a popular “local” person.

Nangloi Jat is witnessing a battle within a family with sitting MLA Dr. Bijender Singh of the Congress facing his elder first cousin Chaudary Raj Singh of the BJP. A key issue is the disenchantment of the Congress workers with Dr. Singh and their support to Raj Singh who was an Elderman of the Congress from 1983 to 1993. A prominent Jat leader, he had deeply upset Mr. Sajjan Kumar in 1977 who had then promoted Dr. Singh against his cousin.

The most “high profile” constituency in North West Delhi is Mangolpuri where Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan is in a strong position against Yog Atrey of the BJP. While the BSP has fielded Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat here, the fight would be between the two main parties.

Finally in Rohini, three-time MLA Jai Bhagwan Agarwal of the BJP will be taking on a businessman, Bijender Jindal of the Congress. With the BSP fielding O. P. Malhotra, Mr. Agarwal does not have much to bother about.