Bhopal: Anti-quota outfit SAPAKS party and Rajput Karni Sena, the two fringe players which gave enough anxious moment to the Congress and the BJP in the recent 2018 state assembly elections, are once again getting ready to flex their muscles. The two – one a political party and the other a social outfit – not in alliance are doing it in their own way this time.
By declaring that it would field candidates from 15 seats, including from high-stake Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Guna seats, SAPAKS, now a political outfit, is making its political ambitions clear. On March 31, it is holding a convention in Bhopal wherein the names of candidates would be announced.
Before the assembly elections, SAPAKS (Samanya Pichda Evam Alpsankhyak Samaj) which arrived on the scene in style only last year, promised to change the narrative. The results showed it was a damp squib. And that was that.
Undeterred by this poor showing, SAPAKS is going to field candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from nine states across the country, including politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
In assembly polls last year, the party fielded candidates from 109 out of a total of 230 seats. The number was fairly good for a fledgling outfit testing political waters. But when results poured in, it became more than obvious it was like a story gone horribly wrong. In terms of poll percentage, it was an abysmal 0.4 and even the highest votes polled by an individual did not cross the 3,000 mark.
Now with another election, the party is busy chalking out plans, forming core committees. This time around there is an air of urgency about all of this. The party is well-aware that it is in no position to make an impact, but it hopes to add a dash of colour to an otherwise staid business that makes or mar political careers of so many established players.
Though still early to predict, bureaucrat-turned-politician Hiralal Trivedi, the national president of the outfit, is likely to be made candidate from Bhopal — the seat from where Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh is in the fray.
Asked if he would be the candidate from Bhopal, Trivedi, the brainchild behind the movement, remained non-committal. “If the party decides to make him candidate from the state capital, he would concentrate on creating awareness among voters about necessity for such an outfit. The objective is not victory. If it happens, we will not shy away from the responsibility. There should be at least one person in parliament to raise the issue in fair, reasonable and candid manner”, he said.
A victory looks like a tall order. Even with the presence of party candidates in 15 constituencies, the party can only at best can serve as a pinprick, all things considered.
Rajput Karni Sena, who is also keen for a piece of the action, had hit the headlines recently for demonstrations against the release of the Hindi film 'Padmavat' in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi will be in Bhopal the day SAPAKS hold the convention.
Talking on phone, Kalvi said talks are on with political parties. He claimed “Four officer-bearers of the organiszation would get tickets from both the Congress and the BJP to contest Lok Sabha election from Rajasthan. Once it happens the office-bearers will resign from the Karni Sena and contest the election.”
To a question if he would be a candidate from any party, he categorically ruled it out saying there was a rumour about his contesting from Chittorgarh or neighbouring area in Rajasthan. There is no truth in it.
“If I contest election, it will defeat the purpose of Rajput Karni Sena.”
Kalvi will be in Bhopal on March 31.
“In Bhopal I will meet Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath and prevail upon him, among other things, to implement 10% reservation for general category.”
