Voting will be held for the by-elections to be held on seven assembly seats in Rajasthan on November 13. By-elections are going to be held in five out of seven assembly seats, Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Khinvsar, Deoli-Uniara, Chaurasi due to resignation of their MLAs due to becoming MPs. By-elections are being held in Salumber and Ramgarh due to the death of MLAs. However, the results of these assembly by-elections are not likely to bring any major change in the politics of the state. This is not going to pose any threat to the government of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.
But the impact of the results of these by-elections will affect the political equations of many parties and their leaders in the state politics. In the 2023 assembly elections, Congress Party had MLAs from four out of seven assembly seats. There was an MLA from BJP on one seat, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLPA) on one and Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) on one seat.
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The seven assembly seats on which by-elections are being held. Among them, the ruling BJP in the state had only one seat, Salumber. Where the by-election is being held due to the death of their three-time MLA Amritlal Meena. Winning the Salumber seat remains a question of prestige for the BJP. That is why BJP wants to take advantage of the sympathy by giving ticket to Shanta Meena, wife of the late MLA. Apart from this, BJP has also entered the election field with full strength in the by-elections to be held on other assembly seats of the state.
The prestige of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and State President Madan Rathore is linked with victory and defeat in the by-elections. BJP’s performance in the last Lok Sabha elections was not very good as compared to the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Therefore, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma wants that by making his party’s candidates victorious in the by-elections on all the seven seats, BJP can create its strong image in the eyes of the high command. BJP is contesting the elections with full strength on all the seven seats of the state. BJP has succeeded in giving the message of unity by convincing all its rebels in time. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s efforts have been successful in removing the rebels who had come out against the party’s official candidates from the elections.
In order to win the by-elections of all the assembly seats of the state, BJP has put aside its policies and principles. Jagmohan Meena, brother of Dr. Kirodilal Meena, a minister in the Rajasthan government, has been made the candidate for Dausa seat. Whereas Dausa seat is a general category seat. But under the pressure of Dr. Kirodilal Meena, BJP has fielded a Scheduled Tribe candidate. Rajendra Meena, nephew of Dr. Kirodilal Meena, is also an MLA from Mahua. In this way, the party has promoted nepotism by giving tickets to three people from one family.
In the 2023 assembly elections, Rajendra Bhambhu, who is contesting as an independent candidate against BJP candidate Nishit Kumar alias Bablu from Jhunjhunu and Sukhwant Singh, who is contesting as an independent candidate against BJP candidate Jai Ahuja from Ramgarh, has been fielded. On Devli-Uniara seat also, BJP has fielded former MLA Rajendra Gurjar by canceling the ticket of Vijay Baisla, son of Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla, who contested the last elections. At the same time, in Khinvsar seat, Revatram Daga, who had given a tough fight to RLPA President and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal in the last assembly elections, and lost by only 2059 votes, has again been fielded.
In the last assembly elections, the BJP candidate had suffered a crushing defeat on eighty-four seats. This time BJP has fielded a new candidate Karilal Nanoma there. BJP candidate is the head of Simalwada Panchayat Samiti and has been the Sarpanch of Sadaria. Now his daughter-in-law Rekha is the sarpanch. His wife Hakali Devi has also been a Sarpanch. Due to good hold in the area, political analysts believe that this time BJP can give a tough competition there.
Congress will again get its four seats Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara and Ramgarh. Besides, it will have to show its strength on the other three seats as well. Congress has fielded Amit Ola, son of Jhunjhunu MP Brijendra Singh Ola. Amit Ola is the third generation of the Ola family and his grandfather Shishram Ola, a five-time MP from Jhunjhunu and a nine-time MLA, was a cabinet minister in the central and state governments. She wants to win the elections on the strength of sympathy by fielding Aryan Khan, son of late MLA Zuber Khan, on Ramgarh seat.
On Dausa general seat, Congress has fielded Deendayal Bairwa of Scheduled Caste by giving ticket. Former officer Kastur Chand Meena has been fielded from Deoli-Uniara. Here Congress rebel Naresh Meena is making the elections triangular. Congress party has failed to convince Naresh Meena. Due to which the situation of the Congress candidate is not considered much better.
In Salumbar, Congress has fielded Reshma Meena, who defeated Congress by contesting as an independent candidate in 2018. Angered by this, Raghuveer Meena, who has been an MP, MLA and minister, is internally causing harm to the party candidate. This time, Congress Party has fielded 29 year old new candidate Mahesh Rot on eighty-four seats. Congress party has made a big dent in the vote bank of Hanuman Beniwal by fielding woman candidate Ratan Chaudhary on Khinvsar seat. Which can benefit BJP.
The prestige of RLPA President Hanuman Beniwal is attached to Khinvsar seat. He won the last assembly elections by only 2059 votes. Then, after forming an alliance with Congress and being elected MP from Nagaur, he resigned from the Assembly. Now he has fielded his wife Kanika Beniwal. Here he will face BJP’s Rewat Ram Daga and Congress’s Ratan Chaudhary. Hanuman Beniwal defeated BJP’s Revat Ram Daga by just 2059 votes in the 2023 assembly elections. If Hanuman Beniwal’s wife loses the election in the assembly by-election, then not only will her party’s representation in the assembly end, but her influence in the politics of the state will also be lost. Therefore, there is a do-or-die situation for Hanuman Beniwal in the by-election.
In the last assembly elections, AAP party president Rajkumar Roat had won the tribal-dominated Chairasi assembly seat by 69166 votes. By-elections are being held on the eighty-four seats vacant due to his resignation after becoming MP from Banswara-Dungarpur. The influence of BAP Party is continuously increasing in the tribal belt. In the last assembly elections, three MLAs of the BAP party had won. This time, Congress and BJP have also given a chance to new candidates on eighty-four seats. The same BAP party rebel Badamilal Tabiyad is also contesting the election. His wife Sharmila is currently the head of Chikhli Panchayat Samiti. Party President Rajkumar Rot has failed to remove Badamilal from the field. For MP Roat, the eighty-fourth seat is linked to his prestige. Because he has been MLA from there for two consecutive terms. If his party’s candidate loses the election from Chairasi, his growing influence will be dealt a blow.
There is going to be a contest in four out of seven assembly seats of Rajasthan, Jhunjhunu, Devli-Uniara, Tikona in Khinvsar and Chaurasi in Chaurasi. In Jhunjhunu, the contest became three-cornered with the entry of former minister Rajendra Gudha. Congress will be at a direct loss due to the number of Muslim and Scheduled Caste votes that Gudha will take. At the same time, BJP will suffer loss of Rajput votes.
The campaign for the assembly by-elections has reached its peak. As the date of by-election voting is getting closer. Similarly, star campaigners of political parties have also started campaigning in the election field. The prestige of BJP, Congress, RLPA and BAP party is at stake in the by-election. How successful political parties are in saving their reputation will be known only after the election results.
– Ramesh Saraf Dhamora
(The author is an independent journalist accredited by the Government of Rajasthan.)
