: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Pary (BJP) and the Opposition Congress in Rajasthan are gearing up for a big battle in Dholpur, where the Assembly by-election is to be held after the seat fell vacant last month following the disqualification of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA B.L. Kushwah upon his conviction in a murder case.
Both the parties were expecting the Election Commission to announce the date for the by-election along with the declaration of a schedule for the Assembly polls in five States earlier this week. However, since the by-election is to be held in six months, the Election Commission is may take some time over the decision to fill up the vacant seat.
State Ministers have started doing rounds of the Dholpur district following the instructions of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who herself spent a couple of days in the constituency last week and sanctioned Rs. 50 crore for the revamping of urban and rural roads. Dholpur happens to be Ms. Raje's home town as well.
Ministers holding different portfolios are visiting the district to review the progress of welfare schemes, and organising public hearings to resolve people’s grievances.
Mr. Kushwah’s membership of the State Assembly was terminated after he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on December 8 in a 2012 case of honour killing. He was charged with getting a man, whom he suspected to be in a relationship with his sister, murdered through a contract killer.
The BSP, which is finding it difficult to retain the Dholpur seat, is considering fielding Mr. Kushwah’s wife Shobha, or some other member of his family, as its candidate to cash in on the sympathy for him visible among the voters.
The stakes are high for the BJP as the by-election result will be interpreted as a reflection of the mood prevailing in the State following PM Narendra Modi’s decision on demonetisation.
