As parties gear up for electoral battle, BJP witnesses a tussle for legacy

The upcoming Delhi assembly election is a fight for change in Delhi but it also has become a fight for claiming the political legacy of the tallest Jat leader in Delhi and former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma. The fight for Verma’s political legacy has now crossed the boundaries of family as his political followers have also joined in. 

A more severe political fight for his legacy is in the offing if these candidates are elected and the BJP forms government in Delhi said sources.  

The frontrunner in this political fight is considered his younger brother Azad Singh, mayor of North Delhi who compelled the party to shift its sitting MLA from Mundka Manoj Shokeen to Nangloi Jat. Mundka is the assembly seat from where Verma used to contest but after his demise his son Pravesh Verma was denied the ticket in 2008 Delhi assembly elections. The party, however, trusted ‘dedicated’ party worker Shokeen to avoid facing charges of dynastic politics. 

For the 2013 election too, Shokeen was given a ticket from Mundka, but Azad Singh’s pressure tactics forced the party to shift him and give Mundka seat back to the family by fielding Azad Singh from this seat. 

 

‘Pravesh Verma is the natural heir of Sahib Singh Verma’s political legacy, but I have created my own political niche through my hard work and service to people,’ said Azad Singh. 

Outside the family, Rajesh Gehlot, chairman of South Delhi Municipal Corporation standing committee is considered a strong claimant of Verma’s legacy in the Jat community. Gehlot, a three time councillor from Matiala and currently BJP candidate from Matiala assembly segment is considered one of the lieutenants of former chief minister. His approach on the village development and working style give people a flavor of Verma’s style of working. 

He recently proved himself to be very close to senior party leaders by holding the first political rally of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in his constituency. 

The rally was attended by all the 10 candidates of west Delhi, including Palam and Bijwasan, of south Delhi.  

Apart from these three leaders the sitting MLA from Palam and former Delhi minister Dharam Solanki, Vikaspuri candidate Kishan Gehlot and Manoj Shokeen thrive on the political legacy of Verma. 

‘All the second and third generation leaders of Jat community in the area are followers of Verma ji. They consider him as their political mentor,’ said his son Pravesh Verma.