Jaipur: Sipping on a cup of tea, Kailash Saini said, “22 January aane do, poore Rajasthan mein Diwali manegi (come 22 January, entire Rajasthan will celebrate Diwali).” A resident of Hawa Mahal constituency in Jaipur, Saini Monday sat discussing the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya with his friends.
A few hours earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a rally in the neighbouring constituency of Amber, had invited all in the audience to attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony in Ayodhya.
On the same day, over 300 km away in Pali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took on the Opposition and accused Congress of trying to ‘destroy Sanatana Dharma’ (described as a set of duties incumbent upon all Hindus). Any move to eradicate Sanatana Dharma by the Opposition bloc INDIA, he said, would lead to a “complete annihilation” of the culture of Rajasthan.
On Tuesday, addressing a rally in Kota, the PM had accused the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state of playing “appeasement politics”, saying that while Hanuman Jayanti and Ramnavami processions were stopped in Rajasthan, the Popular Front of India (PFI), a banned outfit, was allowed to hold a march in Kota last year.
Hawa Mahal’s Saini is not the only one who seems to have been influenced by the BJP’s high-decibel Hindutva-centric campaign in Rajasthan. “This is not about the Congress or the BJP, it is simply about Hindu and Muslim politics,” Om Prakash Aggarwal, who runs a tea stall in Jaipur’s Sitaram Puri area, told ThePrint.
The BJP’s campaign in Rajasthan has taken a different route, as compared to other states, like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
While the party did talk about Ayodhya Ram temple in other states, its campaign was more focused on welfarism and freebies. In Madhya Pradesh, the success of Ladli Behna scheme prompted the BJP to keep the focus on CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s welfarist policies, while in Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel had been actively engaging with Hindu sentiments with a host of schemes and projects, which made the BJP shift its focus to corruption, freebies and development issues.
In Rajasthan, however, the BJP is going ahead full throttle with polarising narratives. Modi has repeatedly spoken about the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiyalal Sahu, allegedly hacked to death by two Muslim men, last year.
According to a BJP functionary, the central leadership has directed party leaders to campaign on the Hindutva issue much more aggressively with a few days left for the voting to take place.
“The difference between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is that welfare schemes were the major components of our election campaign there, whereas here we are talking about both in the same vein — Ram aur vikas (progress) saath saath hai,” the BJP leader told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, to counter the BJP’s Hindutva plank, the Gehlot-led Congress government has already earmarked Rs 3,000 crore for bovine welfare. At the same time, it has also increased honorarium for priests, and shelled out money for temple development.
The Congress is trying to keep the focus of the election on issues of development and welfarism. Addressing a public meeting in Sagwara Friday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had targeted the Modi government and said that it is for the public to decide whether those asking for votes in the name of religion work for the public or not. “The public has to decide who has done or will do your work,” she said.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka, have been cautioning voters about falling into BJP’s trap. Taking a dig at the BJP, Priyanka, in the same rally, said that, “During elections, these people mislead the public by seeking votes in the name of religion. Do not get misled by them and give full support to the Congress which is moving ahead with the thinking of sure guarantees. So, break tradition and repeat the Congress government in the state,” she said.
Also read: ‘Gehlot se bair nahin, MLAs ki khair nahin’— why Congress’s bet on incumbents could backfire
Local leadership trying to balance Hindutva & local issues
The BJP has made a number of saints associated with temples and monasteries its candidates in the assembly election in Rajasthan. The streets of Hawa Mahal constituency, for instance, are covered with posters of Balmukund Acharya, a mahant (chief priest) of Hathoj Dham, whom the party has fielded against Congress’s R.R. Tiwari. The seat is currently represented by Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi of the Congress who was denied a ticket this time.
“Balmukund Acharya, for a long time, has been campaigning to protect Hindu religion. He is a known face,” said Hawa Mahal resident Saini. “He had recently visited the Muslim-dominated Parkota area in the constituency and pointed out that there were hundreds of temples in these areas which were demolished and destroyed by conspiracy. He has promised to identify every temple and restore them. It is the BJP which has been thinking about Hindus. Ram Mandir has been constructed and we are safe and secure today only because of the BJP. So, we want them at the state level, too.”
Yogi Adityanath’s speeches, too, have become a reference point for many in the state with a number of voters ThePrint spoke to pointing out that the state needs “someone like Yogi” to improve the law-and-order situation.
“If the BJP comes to power, they will definitely bring in a new face…someone who is tough like Yogiji. Vote toh Modi aur Yogi ke naam par padenge (voting will happen on Modi and Yogi’s name),” said Prahlad, a resident of Bassi in Jaipur district.
However, even as the BJP is trying to make Hindutva a key poll plank, many voters feel development should be a priority too. “The Congress government has made a number of promises as part of their seven guarantees and they have delivered on many promises made in 2018. Kaam bolta hai (work speaks for itself)…,” said Ram Gopal, a building contractor in Jaipur.
While the BJP’ central leaders from outside are raising the Hindutva issue more fiercely, the local leadership is trying to balance both the Hindutva factor as well as local issues.
In Amber, for instance, former president of Rajasthan BJP, Satish Poonia, while criticising Congress’s alleged appeasement politics, has also been promising people that once the BJP is voted to power, not only will law and order improve, he will also ensure new school buildings and a library in the village. “Ram and development go hand-in-hand,” Poonia said to ThePrint.
“Though the Muslim population is around 10 percent in Rajasthan, they can play a critical role on as many as 40 seats, including a few in the Jaipur district. The BJP has not fielded a single Muslim candidate this time round. The way mahants and saints have been fielded, and with many AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) candidates in the fray, the party is hoping to emerge victorious through polarisation of votes,” explained a party functionary in Jaipur.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: BJP’s Rajasthan manifesto: Anti-Romeo squads, ‘freebies’ & wheat procurement at ‘bonus’ prices