"Not Nervous, Modi Name Guarantees Win": Paralympian's Rajasthan Election Debut

Quoting Franklin D Roosevelt to underscore his struggles, star para athlete and BJP's new entrant Devendra Jhajharia says the political path is tough but the challenges of life much more so and Narendra Modi's name will ensure his win from the Churu Lok Sabha seat.

Confident that his political debut will be as successful as his two-decade career in sports, India's most decorated para athlete said he is not nervous about his "turncoat rival" Rahul Kaswan, a two-term MP who crossed over to the Congress after BJP denied him a ticket.

Churu, the Rajasthan city often in the headlines for its scorching temperatures, has been a BJP and Kaswan family stronghold for the last 15 years. But not any longer, said Mr Jhajharia, who enters politics from his birthplace that goes to the polls on April 19.

The 42-year-old is a double paralympic gold medallist javelin thrower.

"I made my debut in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens by winning a gold with a world record and am confident of registering a historic victory with my debut in politics as well," Mr Jhajharia told Press Trust of India in an exclusive interview.

He was just eight when he touched a live electric cable while climbing a tree. The young boy did get medical attention but his left hand had to be amputated. "The path to politics is not easy but compared to the struggle of my life so far, this challenge seems small," Mr Jhajharia said.

"American president Franklin D. Roosevelt was once asked how difficult the journey of becoming president was. He said he struggled so much with polio in his childhood that the journey to White House did not even seem like a struggle. I too have struggled so much since childhood that this does not seem like a very big deal," he said.

The javelin champion brings the same equanimity to his life, particularly his electoral prospects and the political road ahead. He said Kaswan had won in the last two elections in the 'Modi wave' and now his defeat is certain.

"In 2009, BJP won in Churu by around 12,000 votes. In the 'Modi wave' of 2014, the victory margin was around 3 lakh and in 2019 the victory margin was 3.34 lakh because of the prime minister's charisma. This time, this difference can go up to 5 lakh," saidMr  Jhajharia, the first para athlete to be awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian award.

"As far as the voters of Churu are concerned, (Narendra) Modi's name is a guarantee of victory. Voters only know that Modi has to be brought back in power and the lotus symbol means Modi." In his view, the Ram temple issue will have resonance with voters.

"People will not forget that Modi ji gave a home to Ram Lalla after waiting for many generations. Wherever I go, people raise slogans of Jai Shri Ram. I was there at the inauguration of the temple and everyone's eyes were filled with tears. Ram Mandir is definitely going to be a big electoral issue," said Mr Jhajharia.

Speculation that he might suffer because of the division of Jat votes doesn't concern him.

"I do not talk about caste at all. I am a player and have been taught to put India first. I consider every Indian as my brother... keeping the tricolour high is priority."

According to Mr Jhajharia, a successful sportsperson and president of the Paralympic Committee of India, he was inspired to make a foray into electoral politics because he wanted to contribute to PM Modi's dream of making India a developed nation.

"In the last 10 years, Modi ji has made every Indian feel proud. I felt that if I could make even a small contribution to the prime minister's campaign to make India a developed nation, it would be a big thing for me."

"If we talk about sports, India's graph has risen so high in the last 10 years. Schemes like Khelo India, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) helped the players a lot and the number of medals increased. That's why I thought that now I have to do public service because I have given 22 years to sports, which is a very long time." Mr Jhajharia is certain he will be able to balance his job as president of the paralympic association and politics. He is also ready with plans for Churu.

"Being a player, I think positive and I remain energetic. The respect I am getting as a player will definitely translate into votes. I will provide players in Churu all the facilities that have not been available till now," said the former Khel Ratna award winner.

Accusing Rajasthan's previous Congress government of corruption, he said no development work has been done in Churu and there is a lot of anger among the people.

"There is a lot of anger among the people who are deprived of drinking water. There has been a lot of corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme during the Congress government. Drinking water has not reached the people. There is a need to work on connectivity, for farmers and youth."

"Tourism can be developed in Churu which has many dhams like Salasar, Deva, Gogamedi. Now with the arrival of BJP government in the state, development work can be done rapidly." When asked whether farmers' dissatisfaction is an important issue, he said farmers are happy with the schemes of the Central government.

"Beneficiaries are very happy with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, construction of toilets etc. I am campaigning in rural areas from village to village and farmers also want the Modi government to be formed," he added.
 

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