news details |
|
|
| Is it Singh v/s Singh in city outskirts? | | | Munish Gupta
JAMMU, NOV 22: A bastion of BJP, the three assembly constituencies of Jammu city can offer some foothold to Congress but for National Conference it’s a mind-numbing idea. So what the elitist politicians of National Conference do if they have to enter the Legislative Assembly? The safest route, of course, is through the city outskirts –Nagrota constituency where is a Singh is being seen quietly taking on another Singh.
Of all the Assembly segments in Jammu and Kashmir, Nagrota constituency, along with Bhaderwah, is unique in the sense that it never repeated any candidate until last year when Jugal Kishore of BJP creating history by getting re-elected.
Near Jammu city, Nagrota has always been soft target of the elite lot of National Conference but it proved lucky only once when party’s candidate and scion of Dogra dynasty Ajatshatru Singh won in 1996 elections. Singh lost in 2002 and again in 2008 but for 2014 he is likely to have a challenger from within the party –of course, another Singh, Devinder Singh Rana.
Assembly elections are though five years away but being with the peoples little earlier pays better at the end. Therefore, Devinder Singh Rana, the Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, is very much with the Nagrota people. For a decade now Rana has been active in National Conference but he got firm into organizational saddle only after he was made Member of the Legislative Council in 2007. His elevation to Political Advisor to Chief Minister suggests that he is in for a long inning.
A skilled scholar of business and politics, he has a far sight and pragmatic vision. Therefore, Rana understands that getting nominated –as MLC and then Political Advisor –to positions of responsibility was twice enough and third time he may have to have mandate from the peoples –whether required by party or self set of goal of obligation. No wonder then that he is skirting criticism of being called as class politicians and is making foray to become a mass politician.
His attendance at the death anniversary of Gujjar leader from Nagrota Chowdhary Barkat Ali may not be an incident in isolation. Party sources say that Rana is grooming Nagrota as his electoral constituency. Anyway, whatever would be the matrix between party high commands and Rana both have had to think it twice that what led Singh to lose the election for two times in 2002 and 2008. Being a Rajput can not be definitely a merit or demerit as both belong to same community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
