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‘Outsiders’ take over Tonk & Jhalrapatan in Rajasthan

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By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, Dec 3 (IANS) Amid rage and rancour over Rajasthan polls, due December 7, two seats — Tonk to the east and Jhalrapatan in the south — out of the total 200 represent a unique battle: the ‘outsiders’ have locked horns.

In Tonk — the erstwhile city of nawabs — Congress’ state chief Sachin Pilot takes on BJP’s Yunus Khan. And both come from outside the constituency. Pilot is from neighbouring Ajmer while Khan belongs to Deedwana (Nagaur). Also, the Congress has fielded a Hindu candidate after 46 years in the town, whereas BJP has brought a Muslim candidate after 38 years. The small town has no industries, rail route or airport.

In Jhalrapatan, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is contesting for a fourth consecutive time, winning it since 2003. And Congress has fielded rebel BJP stalwart Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh against her.

Soon after Congress decided to field Pilot from Tonk, the BJP in its last-minute decision, removed its candidate Ajeet Singh, an incumbent legislator from Tonk, and declared Khan as its official candidate.

Pilot speaking to IANS confirmed that Congress during previous elections had performed poorly in eastern Rajasthan. “As Tonk lies between Dausa and Ajmer, the party wanted to have an anchor presence there so that nearby seats can get a mileage. So, I was asked to contest from here,” said Pilot.

Khan, too, says he was brought to Tonk following party’s directions. “People are looking for development and that is what our party promises,” he said.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, convenor of the state BJP election management committee, says Khan is the party’s trump card. Khan and his supporters in Deedwana were disappointed when the first two party lists didn’t carry his name. The final list declared him the contender for the seat, and he accepted the offer as a party loyalist.

Around 250km from Tonk, in Jhalrapatan, Singh is confident that Jhalawar would be free from Raje’s rule. “I am here to fight and win,” he says, adding that this is a “battle against vindictiveness and humiliation collected over the years.”

Singh, a sitting MLA from Sheo (Barmer), recently left the BJP to join the Congress.

Raje calls him a parachute candidate, but quick comes Singh’s repartee: he was a paratrooper in the Army, not in politics.

A senior BJP leader speaking to IANS credits Pilot for Congress’ masterstroke on Singh. “He has sent our ‘bhaisahab’ (Manvendra Singh) to Jhalrapatan against Raje. None of us ever thought of this,” he said.

“When they played their masterstroke, we too came out with our trump card (Yunus Khan),” quipped the BJP leader.

Pilot says Jhalrapatan has always had interesting elections. “In 2003, my mother Rama Pilot contested from the seat against Raje, but lost. I learnt a lot from that. Basically, elections are elections: if they (BJP) leave nothing to chance, we too are here to win,” he says with a smile.

(Archana Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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