Elections 2024, Rajasthan Politics: Will the BJP, which defeated the Congress badly in the last two Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, be able to win all the seats this time too? This question is being heard everywhere in the political corridors of the state these days. Meanwhile, looking at the current political situation in Rajasthan, it is being speculated that this time the contest is likely to be tough or interesting on about six seats in Rajasthan.
Actually, Congress has fielded candidates on 22 seats in Rajasthan, while Nagaur and Sikar seats have been left for Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and CPI(M) under the alliance. The party has not yet announced the candidate for Banswara seat. At the same time, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the center and the state has announced candidates on all 25 seats.
In terms of political equations, this time the contest is expected to be interesting or tough in Churu, Kota-Bundi, Sikar, Nagaur, Banswara and Barmer seats. The contest has become interesting in Barmer due to the entry of independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati in the Lok Sabha election fray.
Congress has given tickets to leaders who have come from other parties in Churu (Rahul Kaswan), Kota-Bundi (Prahlad Gunjal) and Barmer (Ummedaaram). Whereas BJP has fielded Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, who has come from Congress, in Banswara.
Churu
Taking advantage of the internal rift between former leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and Churu BJP MP Rahul Kaswan, Congress inducted Kaswan into the Congress. Kaswan later resigned from the post of MP. Congress has fielded Kaswan from Churu where BJP has fielded a new face and Paralympic player Devendra Jhajharia.
Churu seat of northern Rajasthan is a Jat dominated area and the candidates of both the parties are from the Jat community. Out of the eight assembly constituencies falling under Churu Lok Sabha seat, five are held by Congress MLAs. BJP has two seats and BSP has one seat.
Despite having a strong position in the Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress instead of giving ticket to any leader of its own party, trusted Kaswan who had left the BJP. Modi wave is also considered a big factor in the victory of Kaswan, who has been a two-time MP. It is a different matter that this time the situation and the party are different for Kaswan.
Kota-Bundi
Similarly, to challenge BJP’s Om Birla on the Kota-Bundi parliamentary seat, the Congress has brought Prahlad Gunjal, an influential BJP leader in the Hadauti region, into its fold. It has made Gunjal, a former MLA who joined the Congress, its candidate. Let us tell you that there are a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state for which voting will be held in two phases this month.
Let us tell you that BJP won all 25 Lok Sabha seats independently in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won 24 seats and its ally RLP won one seat, Nagaur. This time BJP is again contesting alone, while Hanuman Beniwal’s RLP has joined hands with Congress on the same seat of Nagaur. Congress has not won a single seat in the last two Lok Sabha elections, while it was in power in the state at the time of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
