Gehlot Jr strives for a win to shed born identity

AMONG the most keenly watched Lok Sabha contests in Rajasthan is the one at Jalore-Sirohi, since former chief minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav is in the fray against Lumbaram Chaudhary of the BJP.

- RAJESH ASNANI

Vaibhav had lost the 2019 general elections from Jodhpur to BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The legacy of three-time Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who has never lost an election, looms large over Vaibhav's campaign.

The younger Gehlot is striving to carve out his own identity, emphasising his contributions to the Youth Congress and his active involvement in Jodhpur's political landscape.

However, Vaibhav's journey has not been without controversies. He has been under the Enforcement Directorate's scrutiny over alleged foreign exchange violations related to Triton Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd and Vardha Enterprises Pvt Ltd, which surfaced just before the 2023 Assembly elections.

His opponent Lumbaram Chaudhary represents the BJP's grassroots strength in the Jalore-Sirohi region.

With a history of active participation in party activities, Chaudhary earned his stripes through hard work and dedication. His tenure as the pradhan of the Sirohi Panchayat Samiti and his leadership roles in the Sirohi BJP unit strengthened his local appeal.

Despite being overlooked in the previous assembly elections, his commitment finally paid off with the Lok Sabha ticket after the BJP dropped its sitting MP Devji Patel.

The ‘local versus outsider’ debate initially dominated the discourse, given Lumbaram’s Sirohi origins. however, victories in the past by outsiders from this seat, such as Buta Singh and Sushila Laxman Bangaru, diluted that narrative.