Malinga is currently a talking point in the Rajasthan elections. We're not discussing former Sri Lankan cricketer Lasith Malinga here, but Girraj Singh Malinga, the legislator from the Bari seat in Dholpur district. Girraj Singh Malinga switched allegiance to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) only hours before the final list of Congress candidates was released.
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Dalit organizations have taken a stand against Malinga's move from Congress to BJP. Several Dalit organizations criticized the BJP for admitting Malinga into the party, labeling it as anti-Dalit and accusing the party's Dalit affection of being merely for electoral show.
Why are Dalit organizations against Malinga?
So, why exactly are Dalit organizations opposing Malinga? The backstory is that Girraj Malinga is accused of attacking Harshadhipati Valmiki, an engineer from the electricity department, last year. An enraged mob attacked Harshadhipati after a village's electricity was cut off, and three-time legislator Girraj Malinga was listed as an accused. When the issue escalated, Malinga surrendered to the police commissioner in Jaipur.
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Malinga denied the allegations of assaulting the engineer, claiming it was a conspiracy against him. Upon joining BJP, Malinga asserted that he was harassed in Congress and falsely implicated due to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's pressure politics. He referenced the engineer attack case, stating his request to change the investigating officer was ignored despite being a Congress legislator.
Gained attention from a bandit's threat
In early 2022, Malinga gained attention due to threats from a notorious Chambal bandit. A video of dacoit Jagan Singh Gurjar surfaced, wherein Jagan made derogatory remarks and threatened Malinga’s life. In response, Malinga rebuffed, claiming if Jagan’s gun could shoot bullets, his own was equally effective.
Leaders joined BJP alongside Malinga
Along with Girraj Malinga, several leaders from Dholpur district have joined the BJP. Among the defectors from Congress to BJP were Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Ravi Pachauri, Deep Singh Kushwaha, Mangi Lal Sharma, and Ramvaran Sharma. BJP also made inroads into the Aam Aadmi Party in Dholpur, with its youth wing president Anurag Singh Barar embracing BJP membership.
Voting scheduled for November 25
Elections for all 200 seats in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly will occur in a single phase. Rajasthan voters will head to the polls on November 25 to elect their representatives and form the next state government. Initially slated for November 23, the Election Commission rescheduled the date, accommodating wedding season dynamics. Election results will be declared on December 3.
