JAIPUR: Attrition has begun even before the poll results are in.
As electioneering reaches fever pitch in the run up to the Rajasthan elections, both Congress and BJP have stepped up their outreach to contestants from smaller parties, either getting them to cross over to the bigger outfits or making them withdraw candidature in support of either of the parties.In Jaipurs Hawa Mahal and Adarsh Nagar constituencies, for instance, pressure from community leaders and some wooing by CM Ashok Gehlot has won over Pappu Qureshi and Umar Daraz, both Congress rebels fielded by AAP, to return to the Congress fold less than a week before polling day.
BSPs Adarsh Nagar candidate Hasan Raja has also extended support to Congress Rafeek Khan, leading the grand old party to believe it has improved its caste arithmetic in the seat.BJP has not been far behind in consolidating its position across constituencies.
In Vidyadhar Nagar, where MP Diya Kumari is facing an uphill battle in a seat that has traditionally favoured BJP, the Rani made the local Parivartan Party of India candidate Rajpal Shekhawat come around to withdrawing his candidature and extend his support to BJP.BJP has never been in such a bad condition: Rajasthan CM Ashok GehlotIn Jaipurs Hawa Mahal seat, BSPs Taruna Parashar has withdrawn her candidature to join BJP, where Balmukundacharya, saffron greenhorn, is pitted against Congress RR Tiwari.
BSPs Civil Lines candidate Arun Chaturvedi, similarly, has withdrawn in favour of Congress incumbent cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.A similar scene has played out in Neem Ka Thanas Udaipurwati constituency, where BSP candidate Sandeep Saini has pledged support to Congress Bhagwan Ram Saini, and in Alwars Tijara, where BSPs Hemkaran has withdrawn his candidature to join BJP.The phenomenon is all pervasive.
In Bikaner West, RLPs Abdul Majid Khokhar has withdrawn in favour of Congress B D Kalla, while in Sanganer BSPs Ram Lal Chowdhary has withdrawn to join Congress.
BSPs candidates in Jaisalmer, Jalore, Dholpur, Pojhran and Sirohi have also effected last-minute crossovers.An interesting contest is also on the cards in Sikars Dantaramgarh, where INDIA allies CPM and Congress will go head-to-head.
Here, CPMs Amra Ram will contest against Congress Virendra Singh, who had won over the RLP candidate who was in the fray.
The twist, however, comes with Singhs wife Rita contesting against him on a JJP ticket, making it a multi-cornered contest where BJP claims it has an edge.