Amidst opposition’s ‘Brajwasi vs Pravasi’ campaign, Hema banks on Modi factor for hattrick of wins

n response to the opposition’s charge, Hema Malini hopes that the Modi factor and the alliance with the Jat-based RJD will seal the deal for her. For the movie star of the bygone era, Modi is the superstar in her electoral campaign.

MATHURA: For yesteryears’ star and incumbent MP from Mathura, Hema Malini, the scorching sun and unusually high temperatures, crossing even 40°C, are not being deterrents these days. From early in the day to late evening, she is braving all odds, moving from village to village and locality to locality, campaigning and seeking votes as the BJP’s candidate for a third term in a row.

The contest in Mathura has now reached the farmlands after BJP candidate Hema Malini had photographs taken while harvesting wheat crops in a village of the district. (Sourced)

However, as she moves, murmurs of her being a ‘Missing MP’ don’t go unnoticed. The opposition is also trying to build a narrative of her being a ‘Pravasi’ (an outsider) who visits only once in a while. ‘Brajwasi versus Pravasi’ is the attack with which Congress-SP alliance candidate Mukesh Dhangar is leading his campaign against her. Hema Malini has been a two-term MP from Mathura since 2014.

In response to the opposition’s charge, Hema Malini hopes that the Modi factor and the alliance with the Jat-based RJD will seal the deal for her. For the movie star of the bygone era, Modi is the superstar in her electoral campaign.

Along her campaign trail, she extensively puts forth the Modi Government’s work and seeks votes in its name. She says, ‘Apne BJP ko vote nahin diya to desh mein andhkar ho jayega, andhere se kya fayda’ (If you do not vote for BJP, darkness will engulf the country, what’s the use of darkness?).

Meanwhile, the contest in Mathura has now reached the farmlands after BJP candidate Hema Malini had photographs taken while harvesting wheat crops in a village of the district. Not to be left behind, Congress candidate Mukesh Dhangar also got down to cutting wheat produce at another farm on Monday for an extended time.

While having food after harvesting the crop, Dhangar said, “I am a farmer’s son and brought up in the ‘mitti’ (soil) of Braj, thus I can work for hours in the fields.”

“Hema Malini’s presence in the fields was only the act to gain cheap publicity. She should have worked for at least one hour in the field along with me. I would have respected Hema Malini for this. What is the use of such work for a photo opportunity and then returning? The voters had to paste posters of the missing BJP candidate after she returned to Mumbai after winning last time,” he added.

Targeting Hema Malini, Anil Yadav, general secretary, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, said, “Such gimmicks are not going to work this time in Mathura because the election this time is becoming ‘Brajwasi versus Pravasi.’ Coming from Mumbai, Hema Malini is a ‘pravasi’ while the Congress candidate is ‘Brajwasi’ (a resident of Braj). Mathura voters can’t find Hema Malini in crises, but Mukesh Dhangar, a local resident, will be available round the clock.”

“Mukesh Dhangar is a son of the soil, and like Hema ji, he did not spend time in the field for photo opportunities only,” he said.

Though Congress is raking up the outsider issue, they are banking upon other backward caste votes, including those of Dhangar (1.25 lakh), Prajapati (80,000), Saini, and Nishad (one lakh), besides the support of the traditional votes of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.

BJP leaders, however, rule out any ‘Brajwasi versus Pravasi’ contest in Mathura. BJP’s election in-charge for the Mathura seat, Shyam Bhadoria, said, “Congress is nowhere in the race and was unable to find a suitable candidate and was trying to import one.”

“International boxer Vijendra Singh was expected to contest for Congress in Mathura, but he backed out and joined the BJP a day before the last day of nomination, which forced Congress to name Mukesh Dhangar as its candidate from the seat,” he said.

“The opposition has no issues to raise and trying to make it a ‘Pravasi’ versus ‘Brajwasi’ contest. Hema Malini owns a house in Vrindavan purchased during her first term she won as the BJP candidate in 2014. She is ‘Braj Ki Beti’ and considered by Mathura residents as the ‘Meera of Braj’,” he added.