Popatlal Sargara of Balotra refuses to give up after 14 election losses. He is now preparing for his 15th election and seeking a Congress ticket.
Popatlal is the person who has contested a total of 14 elections in his life, ranging from Sarpanch to MLA and Lok Sabha.
He has faced defeat every time, but despite this, there has been no decrease in his courage and passion for contesting elections.
On Wednesday, October 14, Popatlal suddenly came into the headlines again when he was mentioned during an important meeting of the Congress party.
Senior Congress leader and Baytu MLA Harish Chaudhary specifically mentioned him during a meeting called to discuss the strategy for Panchayat Raj elections.
After Harish Chaudhary's statement, in which he joked about Popatlal's hobby of contesting elections, this unique story has gone viral across the state.
Popatlal Sargara's electoral journey is no less than a film story. In his political journey so far, he has entered the field 14 times to become a public representative.
Looking at his electoral record, he has tried his luck for the following positions:
Interestingly, he also made his wife contest some elections, although she too could not succeed.
Popatlal had never demanded a ticket from any political party before. He believes that the people are the real power.
He believes that one day people from all 36 communities will definitely support him.
Asking for votes for himself by traveling in buses or sometimes walking around without any big fanfare has become his identity.
Popatlal does not collect any big fund or donation to meet the election expenses. He collects capital by saving a little money for 5 years.
To contest elections, he has had to sell everything from his pets to his land.
His family's financial condition is very simple. Both his son and wife earn a living for the family by doing hard labor.
Initially, family members used to stop him from contesting elections, but now they have understood that Popatlal will not stop for anyone.
He does not keep anyone with him for campaigning because he believes that trust is built only through direct dialogue with the people.
During a meeting in Siwana assembly constituency, Congress leader Harish Chaudhary mentioned him openly.
"Popatlal ji contested against me, against Balaram ji, against Pankaj Pratap ji, against Sunil ji, against Ummed ji. If someone has such a desire in their mind, what can be done, they feel they just have to contest the election."
Despite repeated defeats, the stubbornness and unique style of contesting elections of this soldier of democracy is now a subject of curiosity and discussion among people across Rajasthan.
Now he is preparing to contest the election for the 15th time. This time he has reached out to demand a ticket from the Congress.
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