Modi to address rally on Jaswant’s turf

Expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh with supporters at a rally after filing his nomination papers as an independent candidate in Barmer on March 24, 2014. Photo: Rohit Jain Paras

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will be addressing a rally here on April 12 as poll pitch intensifies for this seat after the entry of expelled BJP veteran Jaswant Singh into the race disturbed caste equations here.

While Mr. Modi will be addressing a rally at Pachpadra Assembly constituency here, Congress is also planning a public meeting for its vice president Rahul Gandhi, though date and location have not been finalised so far.

The campaigning here comes to an end on April 14th evening. Polling here is on April 17.

The election is being seen as

mooch ki ladai (prestige battle) between Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who wants to go all guns blazing against expelled BJP veteran after he refused to bow to the party’s wish of fielding Sona Ram Choudhary, and Jaswant Singh, a nine-time MP.

Modi’s rally here would be a significant boost for Col. (Retd) Sona Ram, who is citing the development in Gujarat and seeking votes in the name of Mr. Modi.

In a meeting at Sinddhari area here, he said no party is good or bad; people, because of their self interest, destroy it.

Mr. Choudhary, a three-time Congress MP, changed sides barely days before getting the BJP ticket. Ms. Raje has already visited the constituency twice in one week.

While in Congress camp, Ajay Trivedi, Congress media in-charge at Jodhpur told PTI, “We are trying to bring Mr. Gandhi here but the date and venue is yet to be finalised.” The presence of Mr. Gandhi may boost the chances of sitting 44-year- old MP Harish Choudhary, who is known for his proximity with the Gandhi scion.

Mr. Singh’s campaign is being pursued with vigour by his daughter-in-law Chitra Singh, who has held a number of meetings on his behalf while Mr. Singh visits the distant areas of the constituency. His son Manvendra Singh, the BJP MLA, is on bed rest as advised by doctors.

At public meetings, Ms. Chitra asks people to vote for Mr. Singh as it is a question of self-respect for the 76-year-old leader who was denied a chance to serve his native place in his last election.

Meanwhile, Mr. Singh’s lawyers have approached the Chief Electoral Officer with a complaint for adding in the election expenses of BJP candidate Col (retd) Sona Ram Choudhary the expenditure incurred on account of Ms. Raje’s visit here.