He is 64, looks weak, tired and walks with a stick. However, his penchant for politics remains indomitable. Jaspal Singh has contested every assembly election since 1990. The rich farmer from Hanumangarh, however, decided not to contest this time.Singh contested polls twice as a Janata Dal candidate, once on BSP and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and twice as an Independent. He couldn’t win one though.“I will not contest this election. I will campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and minister in the Vasundhara Raje cabinet Rampratap in the Hanumangarh constituency,” said Singh, whose family migrated to Hanumangarh from Bhansa village in Punjab long back.He fought his first election on Janata Dal ticket in 1990.“I got nearly 7,338 votes and came fifth. I thought I was new, hence couldn’t win. I became active in politics by organising protests against BJP and Congress governments on local issues,” recalled Jaspal Singh.Sitting in his sprawling home in Punjabi Mohalla of Hanumangarh, he said he again contested on Janata Dat ticket in 1993 and got defeated. He wanted to give up, but his supporters convinced him to contest in 1998 as well, he said.He claimed that he tried to help people cutting across party-lines. “Despite defeats, both Congress and BJP took me seriously. That’s why I decided to contest in 2003 on INLD ticket. And why not? I could improve my performance in every election,” he said.He contested in 2013 despite the Narendra Modi wave. “Worried over the Modi wave, my supporters supported Congress and I got only 3,100 votes,” Jaspal Singh said.

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