While most people in Rajasthan would be linking the downfall of Mahipal Maderna and his family in Jodhpur to the controversial murder of auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) Bhanwari Devi, the local political veterans have a different story which sounds more like a typical political thriller where war of political supremacy between two stalwarts damages each other’s prospects.
Like any other political development, it too revolves around the chief minister. According to locals, the downfall of Maderna started the very day Gehlot stepped in the local political arena of the state during late ’90s. “At the time of Gehlot’s entry, there were several senior leaders like Parasram Maderna, Ram Singh Bishnoi, Nawal Kishore Sharma, Narayan Singh, Sis Ram Ola and others.
But Madernas and Bishnois were more threatening as they were playing on the home turf,” said a senior Congress leader on the condition of anonymity. Gehlot played his moves well and today he is the undisputed leader of Congress. Then came Bhanwari episode which damaged both the families immensely.
Different people have different opinions over the outcome of Bhanwari case, but in politics, someone’s survival is always someone’s death, he added. According to old Congress leaders, Gehlot initially used Rajendra Chaudhary and promoted him immensely in the party to counter Maderna’s influence. Not only he was promoted in the party but was also given a Cabinet berth in 1998.
“The move to promote Chaudhary was to counter the influence of Maderna. Now there were two leaders of same community and one was in the kitty of Gehlot,” said another senior Congressman.
Then came a point when Chaudhary started gaining popularity in Jodhpur, which no shrewd politician like Gehlot would tolerate, he added. It was the working style of Chaudhary that fetched him immense popularity among the people.
Eventually, Chaudhary was sidelined and it was his godfather who withdrew all the support and protection. It cost him not only the election but also the party ticket in 2008. “By this time, Gehlot had two new ‘yes men’. Harish Chaudhary from Barmer and Badri Jakhar from Pali. It was Jakhar who initially opposed the candidature of Divya Maderna from Pali in the previous election,” said a Congress leader from Osian. According to supporters of Maderna, the family had initially sought a ticket for Divya. One of the distant brothers of Maderna had also approached the party for the ticket, which Madernas did not like. But politics brewed up and the party gave ticket to Leela Maderna, who, according to people, was a weak candidate in comparison to Divya. The family was happy that if Leela wins, the seat would remain in its grip only. Meanwhile, Rajendra Chaudhary, who was dormant for the past several years, again appeared on the scene as a Congress rebel on Luni seat.
According to the party insiders, he (Chaudhary) was again ‘used’ to stop Bishnoi family in Luni.
Gehlot is also seen as a politician who has changed the definition of politics in Marwar region.
“Gehlot, despite being the chief minister, was approachable to all people in the district. No senior Congress leader before him was so accessible in the district. Most of them had maintained distance from people. But it was Gehlot who changed the political rules,” said another Congress leader from Jodhpur. In Jodhpur district, the Congress has won just one seat of Sardarpur from where Gehlot contested the election.
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