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Rajesh Sinha
JAIPUR, Nov 4: Caste will play a crucial role in deciding who gets a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket in Rajasthan for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Former State party chief Ramdas Agrawal conceded that it was the basic consideration in the allotment of tickets, ``because the Congress has given such a boost to casteism that we cannot afford to ignore this factor''.
As regards many of the seats, the party also wanted to wait for the announcement of Congress candidates and decide upon the nominee after studying the seat's caste configuration.
The process of deciding on the distribution of tickets has not been easy for the party leadership. The State unit leaders, along with the national general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, K N Govindacharya, who have returned after the ticket allotment exercise with the central leadership in Delhi, were closeted in a meeting at the party office here today, debating over what would be ``the right course''.
²Once in a while, a leader would emerge and try to pacifymobs of party workers from various regions who had gathered in the premises, all shouting slogans to press for a candidature or protest the choice of another.
²According to party sources, there was a tussle between Shekhawat and others over many seats, apart from the tussle between different groups. Shekhawat wanted to wait for the Congress list before finalising names for some of the seats, hoping to win over any disappointed Congress leader and field him on a BJP ticket. There were also those who had been loyal to him who had to be given tickets, and this had been accepted.
²But the deliberations inside also seemed to lack bonhomie. At one point, even the unflappable Govindacharya came storming out of the office building, tore up the banner of one of the ticket aspirants camping in the lawns, paced up and down and then went and sat in a room. Agrawal took him back to the discussions.
²Outside, several groups waited to be heard and demanded a categorical assurance from the leaders. Former member ofParliament from Sawai Madhopur and former member of the Legislative Assembly from Bamanwas, Kunji Lal Meena, occupied the lawns with followers, holding a panchayat of sorts.
They decided that Meena would contest as an independent if the party did not give him the symbol. ``And if the party gives the ticket to Kirori Lal Meena, we shall see to it that he remains number three in this constituency,'' they threatened.
²Other groups protested against the proposed candidates from their areas, while party leaders tried to pacify them. ``Tickets will be finalised and announced in Delhi. Yahan kuchh nahin ho raha (nothing is happening here),'' they said. But no one believed them.
Agrawal denied there were differences among leaders or between the organisation and the chief minister, and said the party has been able to ``nearly decide'' the names for 125 seats and discussions were being held about the rest.
Much is at stake for the party in these elections, with talks that its fallout may affect the fateof the central government. State BJP leaders, however, claim that since last month, their surveys have predicted an absolute majority for the BJP. In the Lok Sabha, similar surveys and estimates had given them all 25 seats.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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