In the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections, 26 ministers contested. Among them, only three female ministers failed to secure their positions in the elections. Meanwhile, Nauksham Choudhary, who defeated Education Minister Zahida Khan, hailing from Paima Khera village in the Nuh district of Haryana, won the Kaman Legislative Assembly seat with a BJP ticket. Nauksham is highly educated, holding a double MA in education and having pursued mass communication from London.
Nauksham Choudhary received 78,646 votes and won by a margin of 13,906 votes. She defeated independent candidate Mukhtiyar Ahmad, while Minister Zahida Khan secured the third position. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Guardian, Nauksham Choudhary shared detailed insights about her victory. Excerpts:
Q: Why did you decide to contest elections in Rajasthan after being defeated in the Haryana Legislative Assembly elections?
A: In 2019, I contested from the Punhana constituency in the Haryana Legislative Assembly elections on the BJP ticket. Although I didn’t win that seat, I felt that contesting on behalf of the BJP was the right decision. Therefore, this time as well, I decided to contest from the BJP. The Kaman Legislative Assembly seat in Bharatpur is a Muslim-majority seat. In this area, we need leadership that is not corrupt but focuses on true leadership.
Q: What strategy will you adopt upon becoming an MLA for the first time, and do you think you can perform better than the former MLAs?
A: I entered politics with the decision to serve the people. Therefore, the question of doing better work does not arise. All work will be done as per the guidance of PM Modi. All schemes will be implemented to reach every household. The contribution of all voters, BJP workers, and the public has been significant in achieving this victory. Now, the sole objective is to establish corruption-free governance with a focus on education, electricity, roads, and water.
Q: A girl from Haryana has won in Rajasthan on the first attempt. Has the dissatisfaction of the community in the elections proven to be an opportunity for you?
A: Contesting elections in Rajasthan after Haryana was not difficult because the BJP supported me. However, when I came here to contest elections, there was an external candidate tag on me. However there was dissatisfaction within the Muslim community against Zahida Khan, and the Muslim community nominated its independent candidate Mukhtiyar Ahmad. However, the public accepted me, and the BJP’s decision was accepted. It would be difficult to say that Muslim votes were divided among themselves and benefited. However, the public knows which party works in their interest.
History of the Kama Legislative Assembly seat:
The Kama Legislative Assembly election area is a major constituency in the Rajasthan state, which is part of the Bharatpur district. Earlier, Congress candidate Zahida Khan was the MLA from this seat. Zahida is the daughter of Taiyab Husain. Both of them have been MLAs from this area several times. Winning this seat for any other major party was considered difficult.
Zahida Khan has promoted mutual development here, turning the hill into a subdivision, laying a minor canal, establishing a college, and establishing a government hospital. However, due to dissatisfaction in the community, Congress suffered considerable losses. This area is also known for some incidents, including the recent Bhiwani incident where the burnt bodies of Nasir and Junaid were found. And the Gopalgarh incident in 2011, where 10 people from the same community died during communal riots. These incidents have somewhat affected the area’s image.
