‘A candidate can’t be imposed on people… BJP does not want strong leaders to emerge’: BJP MP-turned-Congress Churu candidate

Miffed over being denied a ticket by the BJP from Churu, held by his family since 1999, its sitting MP Rahul Kaswan crossed over to the Congress last month, and is now contesting on the seat as a Congress candidate. In the constituency, that votes on APRIL 19, he will be up against paralympian Devendra Jhajhadiya of the BJP.

While Kaswan won the seat in 2014 and 2019, his father Ramsingh Kaswan was the Churu MP between 1999 and 2014. In an interview with The Indian Express, Kaswan speaks about the elections, his “issues” with former BJP Churu MLA Rajendra Rathore and the BJP, among other things. Excerpts:

It is only because of Rathore, who has always tried to sabotage my career. Even in the run-up to the 2019 elections, he tried his best to scuttle my chances. This time, he used all his might and that resulted in me being denied a ticket. I had complained to (BJP) state president C P Joshi about the concentration of power in one person’s hand but my complaint was not heard.

My connect with the people is working in my favour. No leader will lose votes if they works hard in their constituency, meet people regularly and have good grassroots connections.

They are already with me. This election is not about winning or losing but about making a statement to the party (BJP) leadership that a candidate cannot be imposed on the people. He (Jhajhadiya) has never even contested a local election and was given a ticket. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hinted to him about two years ago that he would be fielded. Did he ever try to raise public issues in these two years? He thinks he can become an MP without any ground work. Democracy does not work like that.

It is not about caste or religion. I have never discriminated against