C P Joshi
Credit: PTI Photo
Jaipur: Congress replacing its Lok Sabha poll candidate with veteran leader C P Joshi , a Brahmin, for Bhilwara indicates it is trying to get its caste arithmetic right, and that it has also been successful in persuading its reluctant senior leaders to agree to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
Yesterday Congress replaced its Bhilwara Lok Sabha candidate Damodar Gujjar with former Union minister, Vidhan Sabha Speaker and former Congress state president C P Joshi.
Gujjar has now been named the Rajsamand candidate from where Sudarshan Rawat was named, who refused to fight the election, stating personal reasons.
Political analysts say Congress could not have found a better candidate than Joshi. He doesn’t indulge in any groupism in the party and earlier was the biggest emerging leader from amongst the Brahmins.
Joshi is also a former MP from Bhilwara as well as a former Union minister for Rural Development. He was a MLA from Nathdwara as well. When he was the party's state president, Joshi ensured the victory of Congress in 2008 but he himself lost by one vote to BJP candidate Kalyan Singh Chauhan in Nathdwara. With this, his also lost the only chance to become the state’s Chief Minister.
A strong influential leader in the Mewar Bhilwara region, he was close to Rahul Gandhi earlier. A straightforward and frank politician, he doesn’t mince words, be it anyone.
The BJP is still to declare its candidate from Bhilwara. Narayan Bareth, senior political observer, says, “Congress has found its strongest candidate from Bhilwara. on the other hand BJP has infighting in its Bhilwara unit. There is a tussle between BJP and the RSS there. That is BJP is finding it hard to pin down the right candidate. “
Sources said most senior Congress leaders and ministers from Rajasthan have refused to fight the Lok Sabha elections, probably fearing their defeat. And that is said to include former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior minister Shanti Dhariwal and others. “Perhaps the High Command intervened and Joshi complied after his initial hesitancy.”
Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan would be held in two phases—on April 19 and April 26.