Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have said in BJP’s national convention in February that the ‘lotus’ was the party’s candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, but when it comes to Jhalawar-Baran in Rajasthan — the seat held five times by Vasundhara Raje Scindia and now won four times in a row by her son Dushyant Singh — it’s the “family” that is the real candidate here.
Singh makes no effort to hide that the seat has become synonymous with Raje’s family. In fact, he wears it as a badge of honour. “Dushyant may be fighting the election here but the real candidate is our family which is fighting in every booth. We will win this election,” he said in an interview during his campaign at Kachnaria, a village in his constituency.
Singh credits his mother for “transforming the region” as chief minister and establishing “family terms” with the voters, which makes him confident of a win five times in a row.
Giving specific examples of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of the constituency that is ‘home’ to the Raje-Singh family, Singh explained why people vote for them even after 35 years. He also passionately talked about how opium cultivation is an electoral issue here along with water availability.
Edited Excerpts:
What’s the Mahaul this time?
Due to the good work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his vision in the last 10 years, BJP governments in Rajasthan, the work done by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, and the hard work by our MLAs and party cadre, this region has made us win since 1989. My mother won five times while I won four times. I thank the parliamentary board for allowing me to represent this constituency once again. I am confident that on June 4, lotus will bloom once again in Jhalawar.
It has been a lifetime that your family has been representing this seat…
Yes. It has been 35 years.
Why do you think this constituency always stood strong for your family?
Because when my mother came here for the first time, this region had nothing. The assembly seat where we are standing right now was once represented by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat — one of the tallest leaders of India. When my mother came to this Lok Sabha seat, roads were serpentine but no vehicles could ply. She created a bond of love and established family terms with locals here.
Dushyant may be fighting the election here but the real candidate is our family. We are fighting in every booth and will win this election.
This January, Vasundhara Raje Scindia visited Jhalawar and asked the DM to chronicle the development on the seat before she fought for the first time and now. Can you give our readers a sense of that?
The infrastructure development in this area since 1989 by former CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia has been exponential. I took it forward from 2004 when I won the seat under the leadership of the then chief minister. Former Vice-President Shekhawat Saab also contributed to transforming the Jhalawar and Baran area. This area has been lucky to have two chief ministers for multiple terms.
What are the electoral issues of this region?
Water has been an issue here. We have been able to bring projects that have now brought water for irrigation for farmers up to their fields. Let me give you examples. This seat is spread across two districts — Jhalawar and Baran. In Baran, we have Parvan, Lasi, and Hinglot where we are. Next, there is Ganeshpura on the left. We have brought multiple water projects and connected these areas. We have brought road projects as well while the prime minister has brought a medical college here.
Of the eight assembly segments, six are opium-growing regions. I want to thank PM Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who have helped us increase our (opium) cultivation, which is now being done by 11,500 farmers. Next year, the Union government will increase the capacity of the Neemuch factory (India’s second plant for processing opium and manufacture of alkaloids located in MP’s Neemuch). Once that happens, we will be able to use the opium for medicinal use and the area under cultivation will go up. Previously, we used to import processed opium. Now, we are growing it at home under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
You are the son of a former chief minister. News18 interviewed another son of a former CM — Vaibhav Gehlot — who claimed Congress is winning double-digit seats in Rajasthan in the Lok Sabha polls. Do you think it is feasible?
Look, I am in my parliamentary constituency right now and I can only talk about that. My brief is to work here. I can’t talk about other regions. But as per the information I am getting from across Rajasthan, PM Modi will get full majority and NDA will get 400-plus seats.
And what about Rajasthan? Is it going to be 25 out of 25 as other BJP leaders are claiming?
Yes, absolutely. It is going to be 25 out of 25.
Final question. Last time, you defeated your opponent by a margin of 4.5 lakh votes. Can you surpass it this time?
Look, it gets decided by the number of voters. Journalists should evaluate elections with percentages as the metric. Our family is fighting this election. BJP will be ‘400 paar’ and I will win ‘Mhara Jhalawar’ for PM Modi. The election is being fought under his leadership. ‘Desh unko dekh raha hai. Sirf desh hi nahi, videsh bhi unko dekh raha hai’ [Not just the country, the world is looking at him].”
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