In Jaipur’s Olympian battle, Rathore shoots for nationalism as Poonia hurls in local woes

BJP's Rajyavardhan Rathore, an Olympic silver medallist, is relying on nationalism while the Congress’s Krishna Poonia, an ex-discus thrower, has stuck to local issues.

Rajyavardhan Rathore and Krishna Poonia | Commons

Jaipur: It has been billed as the battle of the Olympians but at the Jaipur (Rural) Lok Sabha constituency, the poll narrative is a tussle between local and national issues.

The sitting MP, the BJP Union Minister Rajvardhan Singh Rathore, an Olympic silver medallist, has focussed his campaign on national issues and the need to elect a “powerful nationalistic leader”.

Rathore, in his various public meetings, has been repeatedly underlining his government’s “tough stance on terror and national security”.

His rival, the Congress’ Krishna Poonia, an Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, has centred her campaign around local issues and has been targetting the BJP over non-fulfilment of state’s aspirations. A sitting MLA from Sadulpur in Churu, which she won in 2018, Poonia, a former discus thrower, is fighting off the tag of “outsider”.

National security versus water crisis

In the villages of Kodi and Mundwara, which fall under the constituency, residents capture the contradictions of the elections here. While most say that they would like both the candidates to address the water crisis here, they also appear to suggest that national security overshadows local issues.

“Modiji can secure the country and no one else. He has done many works and even our MP has done many works in the constituency. But there has been a water crisis in the villages for years now,” said Vikram Rathore of Kodi village.

“We get very little water every day. We can’t even produce crops that require water,” said another resident of the village, raising it before Rathore who is in the village this day.

The BJP candidate even has a “nationalistic solution” for the local water crisis.

“The rightful share of our water, which flows from rivers in Kashmir into Pakistan, will be reclaimed,” he told the resident. “Modiji has promised that he will build dams over these rivers and divert the water towards Punjab and Rajasthan. Strengthen Modiji and he will solve the age-old water crisis.”

Poonia, on the other hand, assured villagers of Dhamasya that she has spoken to Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about the water scarcity, who, she says, has promised to resolve it.

Congress’ Nyay vs BJP’s PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi

Another point of debate at Jaipur (Rural), a predominantly agricultural constituency, is over welfare schemes for farmers.

The Congress candidate has been playing up the party’s proposed Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme, while her BJP counterpart has been accusing the Congress-led state government of not implementing the Modi government’s Kisan Samman Nidhi.

NYAY guarantees a minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month or Rs 72,000 a year to the ‘poorest families’. Under the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, small and marginal farmers, who have less than two hectares of land, are entitled to receive up to Rs 6,000 as minimum income support.

In his speeches, Rathore has been alleging that the Congress government in the state has been thwarting the implementation of central public welfare policies, particularly the Kisan Samman Nidhi.

“The Ashok Gehlot government has deliberately stalled the implementation of several public welfare measures that were implemented by the Narendra Modi government. They are sitting on the applications for the Kisan Samman Nidhi, which deprives the farmers of the state of subsidy intervention of Rs 6000 annually,” Rathore alleged.

“They have not become a part of Ayushman Bharat that provides for free medicare up to Rs 5 lakh,” he added.

Poonia, at her various meetings, was quick to point out that the previous BJP government did not resolve the water crisis, did little to address farmers distress, employment generation and had failed on the economic front.

“The BJP keeps on repeating the issue of nationalism and national security. Aren’t we nationalists? Aren’t we patriots? Haven’t we (people other than BJP) contributed to the growth and development of the nation?” Poonia told ThePrint. “They are raising national security issues to hide their failures.”

She added that the people had high hopes from the Narendra Modi government when it came to power in 2014 but accused the government of completely failing on all fronts.

The two campaigns

The mode of campaigning has also differed on the ground.

Rathore has based his campaign on a personal connection with voters and is seen eating with them, building walls, playing with youngsters, getting selfies clicked and working in fields.

Poonia, meanwhile, has been making fervent appeals urging the electorate to consider her as a family member and who will be available to them every time.

Campaigning in the villages in the sweltering heat Poonia said she was not here to seek the votes of the people. “I am here to make a relationship with you,” she said. “A win or loss isn’t relevant to me. All of you are welcome to my home whenever you want.”