Caste to starcast in bypoll flicks

Die has been cast for by-polls in two Lok Sabha and one assembly constituenciy. Congress has declared its candidate for Alwar while the BJP will declare name of its candidate soon. The party is working on getting caste equation right. BJP’s Kisan Morcha has asked for the ticket.

Whether Alwar or Ajmer, both parties are concentrating on caste factors. All talks of contesting election on the issue of development is mere propaganda, the bitter reality is that both the parties are relying on caste arithmetic to select candidates. Congress has chosen Dr Karan Singh Yadav with an eye on Yadav community and the BJP too is seriously mulling over fielding a Yadav candidate.

Even Ajmer, where caste is usually not a major influencing factor, this time expected to play a key role in deciding candidates. BJP is said to be thinking of fielding a Jat. Its Kisan Morcha has asked for fielding candidate from farming community in both the places.

On Mandalgarh assembly seat, the ruling party may field a Rajput. Some of the names doing rounds are Shakti singh, Badri Guruji, Bhagwan Singh, Harshita Kumari and wife of Ghanshyam Singh. Here, Dhakar, Rajput, Brahmin, Dalit, Gurjar and Muslim are predominant castes.

So far, the buzz is that the BJP can field a Rajput in Mandalgarh, Jat in Ajmer and Yadav in Alwar.

BJP Panel in Alwar

Baba Balaknath

Dr Jaswant Yadav/ Kiran Yadav

Sanjay Sharma

BJP Ajmer Panel

Ramswaroop Lamba

Ramchandra Choudhary

Charan Choudhary

B P Saraswat