How Azhar’s sacrifice can revive Congress hopes in Rajasthan

Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin may not have heard of an old custom of Tonk. It is time he did. Since the late 19th century, descendants of the Nawab of Tonk halal a camel inside their palace every Eid. This year’s Eid is still several months away, but Azharuddin has already been marked as the sacrificial camel of Tonk. The only difference: Instead of the Nawabs, it is the Congress that has chosen him for the ritual. [caption id=“attachment_520022” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mohammed Azharuddin. Reuters[/caption] Every Lok Sabha election, the Congress fields at least one Muslim candidate in Rajasthan. This ‘sacrificial’ candidate invariably loses the election. But his qurbani helps the Congress retain minority voters across Rajasthan because of this symbolic act of representation. This election Azhar has been selected for this role by the Congress. The party on Tuesday nominated him as its candidate for the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency, which lies adjacent to Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur. Tonk-Sawai Madhopur is a queer mishmash of caste, religion, history and geography. Though both the towns combine to form one constituency, Azhar would soon realise that they are as different as batting and bowling. Tonk was once ruled by Nawabs; it is one of the premier reminders of the Muslim era of the past. Sawai Madhopur, in contrast, was a Rajput stronghold; it is today home to the shrine of the premier deity of Hindus—Lord Ganesha of Ranthambhore. Tonk, obviously, has been chosen by the Congress for Azhar because of its Nawabi tradition and Muslim population. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate. But it would be logical to assume that Sawai Madhopur’s Rajput tradition and Hindu population and the party’s preference for communal polarisation would influence the BJP’s choice. Azhar’s electoral prospects in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur would depend on who the BJP makes him face on the poll pitch. By some indications it could be Jaipur royal family member Diya Kumari, mainly to neutralize Azhar’s celebrity status. By some calculations it could be Vasundhara Raje’s daughter-in-law Neeharika, primarily because of the large number of Gurjars (the CM bahu is from this community) in the constituency. But, at stake in the election for the Congress isn’t just Azhar’s constituency. He has been brought to Rajasthan as part of a larger game-plan. The Congress hopes Azhar will influence Muslim voters in a large arc that begins in Ajmer, scythes through Jaipur and ends in three districts of Shekhawati. AZHAR THE SAVIOUR Nobody could have imagined that one day Azhar would walk out to bat to save the Congress in Rajasthan. But, opportunity and challenges have had the habit of knocking on Azhar’s door. Three decades ago, he broke into the Indian team when the then skipper Sunil Gavaskar axed Sandeep Patil for throwing away his wicket in a Test match against England. Some years later, he became the captain after Raj Singh Dungarpur casually asked Azhar: “Miyan, Kaptani karoge?” The role of the Muslim face of the Rajasthan Congress has also come to him. In the recent Vidhan Sabha election, the Congress gave tickets to 16 Muslim candidates. All of them lost. Apart from the fact that the entire Muslim leadership of the Congress was wiped out, the 100 per cent loss was a huge psychological setback to the Congress. In one swift stroke, it disproved the entire political arithmetic of the party. Results of the Vidhan Sabha elections established that many Hindu voters shift towards the BJP when faced with the choice of voting for a Muslim candidate on a Congress ticket. The Congress hopes Azhar’s celebrity status and cricket background would help it retain the traditional Congress voter who shifts loyalty because of communal leanings. If the ploy works, Azhar could help many other top players on Team Congress, including CP Joshi and Sachin Pilot, win their seats. Tonk-Sawai Madhopur is flanked by Pilot’s Ajmer and Joshi’s Jaipur. Together, the three constituencies have a large number of Muslim, Brahmin and Gurjar voters. By investing in the Brahmin (Joshi)-Gurjar (Pilot)-Muslim combination, the Congress is trying to forge an alliance that could negate Narendra Modi’s effect in this region. Simply put, the three heavyweights are expected to help each other by influencing voters from their communities in the entire region. They have been sent out to bat, not as individuals, but as partners. It is a role the cricketer in Azhar would love. For more inspiration, there is always the tale of the camel, who sacrifices himself for the sake of others.