Two doctors in fray for Alwar Lok Sabha bypoll

Jaipur: Two doctors from the Yadav community are set to test their political fortunes in the bypoll for Alwar parliamentary constituency scheduled on January 29, which is being viewed as a a semi-final for the Rajasthan Assembly polls due this year.

While the Congress had already nominated former MP from Alwar Dr Karan Singh Yadav, the BJP has given a go ahead to local heavyweight and incumbent state Labour Minister Dr Jaswant Yadav to contest the Lok Sabha bypoll.

While electioneering is focusing on developmental issues, it will be caste factor and doctor vs doctor subtext which will decide the outcome in this Yadav-dominated area.

Both doctors have started campaigning in the constituency to get hold of ground realities much before the names were finalised by respective parties as both have a stronghold in the area.

Dr Karan Yadav is a former MP, having defeated Chand Nath in the 2004 general elections from Alwar.He has also been a two-time MLA from Behror.

He also served as superintendent of state-run SMS Hospital in Jaipur between 1998 and 2003.

After he joined Congress, he won state assembly elections from Alwar s Behror constituency and parliamentary elections from Alwar seat.

Dr Jaswant Yadav holds bachelor of ayurveda, medicine and surgery (BAMS) degree and is a state cabinet minister and MLA from Behror.

The bypoll has been necessitated following the death of BJP MP Chand Nath, who had defeated Jitendra Singh in the 2014 Lok Sabha election by a margin of over 2.8 lakh votes.

There are eight state assembly constituencies accommodating nearly 18.27 lakh voters.

Nearly a fourth of the voters in Alwar belong to the Yadav community.

Other communities with significant representation are Meos, Dalits and Brahmins.

The Yadav domination in Alwar politics can be gauged from the fact that in 11 Lok Sabha elections held since 1977, candidates from the community have won election eight times.