Unlike other BJP MPs who have been ‘summoned' to contest assembly elections, BJP is in no mood to test the popularity of Diya Kumari. The party has given her cakewalk from Rajput dominated Vidyadharnagar which it has never lost. And for that the party had to overlook family of former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat also. Shekhawat's son in law Narpat Singh Rajvi had been MLA from this seat since it was created in 2008. Rajvi was lobbying for his son this time but BJP decided to roll out red carpet for Diya Kumari.
According to party sources, name of Diya Kumari was also discussed for Civil Lines and Hawa Mahal seats, But both seats had strong candidates from Congress – Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi – both ministers in Gehlot cabinet.
However, party doesn't seem to be kind to Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – who will have to prove his prowess to win from Jhotwara which has dominance of Jat and Yadav along with his own community members – Rajput. Agriculture minister Lalchand Kataria represents this constituency. Kataria this time is trying to get ticket from Amer and if he succeeds then probability of success will go up for Rathore. A former army officer Rathore will have to fight this election as a battle to flourish his political career which has seen many ups and down. A two time MP from Jaipur rural, Rathore was inducted in Modi's cabinet in her first term and then was dropped.
The ‘street fighter' Kirodi Lal Meena's activeness on ground brought him back to electoral politics. Getting a call from Rajya Sabha to fight assembly election is a rare phenomenon. But then Kirodi is a street fight whose politics has revolved around agitation and dharna pradarshan. Meena had won Sawai Madhopur constituency earlier in 2003 when he defeated Yasmeen Abrar – mother of sitting Congress MLA Danish Abrar and wife of Abrar Ahmed, who had been an influential leader from Muslim community.
Now if Danish Abrar gets ticket from SawaiMadhopur again, he will have chance to avenge defeat of her mother Yasmeen from five-time MLA and three-time MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who is playing his last inning in electoral politics.
BJP also fielded Devji Patel, MP from Jalore on Sanchore seat, where minsiter of state for forest minister Sukhram Vishnoi is the sitting MLA. For three-time MP Patel, who belongs to Kadwa Patel community, winning this seat would be a big challenge. Sukhram Vishnoi had won this seat consecutively in 2018 and even in 2013 when Congress was bundled out for 21. It will need nerve of steel for this steel trader Patel to register victory in Vishnoi dominated constituency.
For other three MPs, victory for Narendra Kumar from Mandawa, Baba Balaknath from Tijara and Bhagirath Choudhary from Kishangarh would not be much difficult. Narendra Kumar had won Mandawa seat in 2018 also against the sitting MLA Rita Choudhary. But he had to vacate the seat after winning Lok Sabha seat from Jhunjhunu. Kumar had been MLA from Mandawa twice – once each on BJP ticket and independent.
Similarly, Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary has been fielded in Kishangarh assembly constituency, which is not new to him. He had also been MLA from Kishangarh twice in 2003 and 2013. The sitting MLA Suresh Tak is an independent candidate who has given support to the Congress government. Choudhary will have to toil hard if Congress fields Tak, who has been quite active in last five years in Kishangarh and there is not much public resentment against he sitting MlA.
Mahant Balaknath will contest from Tijara on Hindutva agenda. A successor of Mahant Chandnath of Mastnath community, Balaknath is known as ‘Yogi Adityanath of Rajasthan'. He belongs to Yadav community and has a good hold in entire Alwar district. His winning prospects are stronger than the sitting MLA Sandeep Yadav, who left BJP in last election to contest on BSP ticket. Now he is with Congress and was chairman of regional infrastructure development board NCR before he resigned from the post when the state government declined his demand of making Bhiwadi a district.
Ram Kumar Kaushik is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience across mediums. The architect of this news website, he is also a consultant with several media groups. He was formerly the group managing editor of ITV Network (NewsX, India News and The Sunday Guardian) and its digital products.
