Dausa: Here's a story of a Gujjar Muslim who comes all the way down from the hills of Jammu and Kashmir to Dausa in Rajasthan to show that caste and community alliances run far deeper than even religion.
There are special prayers in Rajouri for Qammar Rabbani Chechi's victory in these elections.
But here's the twist - he's campaigning not in his hometown but in dusty Dausa.
One of the first things Qammar Rabbani Chechi had to learn before he started campaigning was to tie the pagri (the turban) just right - something critical in Rajasthan.
Chechi is a Muslim Gujjar from Rajouri brought to contest in Dausa, Rajasthan by Hindu Gujjar groups.
On the surface, it might seem to be a mildly bizarre move - but the political logic is ingenious.
Dausa used to be the bastion of Rajesh Pilot. His son Sachin is the sitting MP.
As the epicenter of the Gujjar agitation, the question of who would win form here was up in the air. De-limitation brought another edge as Dausa became a reserved tribal seat. So Sachin Pilot was forced to move to Ajmer.
Now, the calculation is simple. Gujjars in Rajasthan may not have tribal status, but Gujjars in Kashmir do. If Chechi wins, Dausa remains a Gujjar seat.
Chechi's strategy is to build a caste coalition against the Meenas who are resented by many for the benefits they have cornered because of their ST status.
And thus it seems that Chechi's growing popularity is a sign that caste, not religion, is the axis of politics here.