Electioneering picks momentum in Rajasthan's Banswara-Dungarpur, BJP faces challenge from Bharatiya Adivasi Party

New Delhi [India], April 22 : Electioneering has picked up momentum in the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha seat in southern Rajasthan which has a sizeable presence of the tribal community. With three days left for campaigning to end, all candidates are seeking to reach out to a large number of voters.
An interesting contest is in the offing in the seat with Bharatiya Janata Party's Mahendrajit Singh Malviya pitted against Bharatiya Adivasi Party's (BAP) Rajkumar Roat. Malviya was earlier with Congress and had joined BJP in February this year.
Even as Congress has decided to extend support to BAP candidate Rajkumar Roat, Arvind Damor, who was given the party ticket initially, has not withdrawn from the fray.
Congress and BAP reached an understanding late and Arvind Damor did not withdraw from the fray on the last date of withdrawal despite directions from the party.
Banswara-Dungarpur will go to the polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan on April 26. The first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan for 12 of 25 seats was held in April 19.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed a public rally here on Sunday to boost the prospects of the party candidate.
Speaking to ANI, Malviya expressed confidence of his victory. The candidates, including Rajkumar Roat, are raising issues concerning the electorate.
Rajkumar Roat has been emphasising his commitment to "safeguarding the constitution" amid allegations by INDIA block leaders that BJP-led NDA could change it in its third term.
Arvind Damor said if elected, he would work to prevent migration and create employment opportunities. He said Centre had lacked in development initiatives in Banswara.
BJP won the seat comfortably in the 2019 elections with its candidate Kanakmal Katara getting 7,11,709 votes.
In his speech, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress and alleged that Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children."
."These days those who left Congress tell one thing very seriously, they are all saying that Congress is no longer Congress, it has gone into the grasp of urban Naxals. Congress is now in the grab of Communists. One of our friends asked them how can you say this, they said look at their (Congress) manifesto. See the Congress manifesto of this election. What Congress has said in its manifesto is serious and worrying. And it is their attempt to implement the Maoist thinking...
"They have said that if Congress government is formed, there will be survey of property belonging to each person. How much gold our sisters have, that will be found out, calculated," PM Modi said...
"Our tribal families have silver, that will be evaluated,...how much property government employees have, money, job that will be probed. Not only this, they have said that the gold that the sisters have, and other property, that will be distributed equally. Is it acceptable to you? Does the government have a right to snatch your property? Does the government have the right to take the wealth built by you with your hard work?" PM Modi asked.
He said the gold that mothers and sisters have is not for show only, it is linked to their self-respect.
"Their Mangalsutra, the question is not of the cost of gold in it, it is linked to her dreams of her life. You are talking of snatching it in your manifesto...will distribute gold and redistribute. When it was their government, they had said that Muslims have the first right over the country's wealth. Who will you distribute after collecting the wealth, distribute it to those who have more children, distribute to infiltrators. Will the money of your hard labour be given to infiltrators, is this acceptable to you?...
"Congress manifesto is saying that they will calculate the gold of mothers, sisters and then redistribute the wealth to those whom the Manmohan Singh government had said that the first right to resources is of Muslims. Brothers, sisters, this thinking of urban Naxals, my mothers, sisters, they will not allow even your Mangalsutra remain in your possession, they will go to this extent," PM Modi said.
He took several jibes at Congress and said the "royal family" of the party will not be in a position to vote for the party as Congress is not contesting the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat.