Denial of ticket to Ram Bilas echoes in Mahendragarh, ‘SDM Sahib’ spices up battle
After losing the ticket to Kanwar Singh Yadav, BJP veteran Ram Bilas Sharma is noticeably absent from the campaign. The memory of how Sharma, a five-time MLA and local political figure for 47 years, broke down after being denied the ticket still lingers in Mahendragarh. His mistreatment by the BJP resonates deeply.
At a rally in Bassai village, Yadav reminds the audience that “sirf naam badla hai, nishan nahin (only the candidate’s name has changed, the symbol remains the same).” “I have served the BJP for 30 years; only then have I been chosen,” he adds, being mindful of the possible damage of Sharma’s absence.
Bassai, the largest village in Mahendragarh with nearly 8,000 voters, sees a polling turnout of about 5,500. To attract Rajput voters, Yadav has brought Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajender Singh Shekhawat, who discusses Modi government policies, the Ram Temple, Article 370, and the preservation of “Sanatan sanskriti”, which he claims their ancestors sacrificed their lives for.
Listening to the speech, a resident of Bassai, Ashok Kumar, a Rajput, says, “This village has been voting for Ram Bilas Sharma. Since he has been denied the ticket, we will vote for the Congress.” Kumar is doing BA in a Mahendragarh college. His classmate Gajender Tanwar notes that while Brahmins and Rajputs have traditionally backed Sharma, Congress’ Rao Dan Singh relied on Ahir votes. “The denial of his ticket has upset many,” he adds.
A government servant, wishing to remain unnamed, comments, “By denying the ticket, the BJP has snatched the walking stick of an old man. But that doesn’t mean Kanwar Singh Yadav will suffer; I think he’s still in the race. Probably, he is ahead of Congress’ Rao Dan Singh. Anyway the Enforcement Directorate will arrest him soon after the polls.” Recently, the ED seized assets worth Rs 44 crore of Dan Singh, his son and some others in a money laundering case.
Dan Singh, now 68-year-old, and Sharma have contested against each other for 28 years. Dan Singh won four times — in 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2019 — while Sharma won in 1996 and 2014.
In Ahir-dominated Khatodarra village, a song plays, portraying Dan Singh and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda as “Ram-Lakhan.” People await his arrival, which is delayed by two hours. When he finally arrives on a camel, he is showered with flower petals.
Regarding Sharma’s absence, he remarks that the BJP has wronged “Panditji,” adding, “Anyway, we both have different voters. It doesn’t impact me in political sense. It’s a fight of ideology.”
Addressing the potential split of Ahir votes between him and Yadav, he states: “Ahir candidates have contested alongside me before and received around 12,000 votes. It doesn’t make much impact.”
The constituency has about 83,000 Ahir votes (41 per cent), over 24,000 Brahmin votes (12 per cent), and more than 19,000 Rajput votes (9 per cent). The BJP hopes to split the Ahir vote by fielding Kanwar Singh Yadav, bolstering this with its upper caste base.
Amidst all these caste calculations, Independent candidate Sandeep Singh, known as “SDM Sahib”, has added intrigue to the contest. Recently, he organised a well-attended rally on September 29.
The son of ex-minister Bahadur Singh, he had secured 33,077 votes in the 2019 Assembly polls, representing 23.08 per cent of the vote share. A Jat by caste, he got votes across various communities, finishing a close third, while Sharma, the runner-up, had received 36,258 votes.
As non-Ahir votes could go to him, ex-SDM Sandeep Singh, laughs when questioned whether Sharma’s absence will benefit him. “I will not say this. I am being backed by all communities. There is no competition,” he says.
