BJP looks for prominent Jat leaders in Rajasthan

The BJP is desperately looking for Jat leaders in Rajasthan to fill the void created by the death of its two prominent leaders from the community in a short span of time — former union minister Prof. Sanwar Lal Jat and former state health minister Dr Digamber Singh.

While, Prof. Jat had become a force to reckon with in the Ajmer region, Dr Singh was the BJP face in the Bharatpur region. Prof. Jat had defeated state Congress chief Sachin Pilot in the last Lok Sabha polls, while Dr Singh had won against Vishvendra Singh, a member of Bharatpur royal family from Deeg-Kumher in the 2008 Assembly polls.

Death of these two leaders coupled with some more Jat leaders has forced the BJP to search for prominent faces in the Jat community. With Assembly elections an year away, there is little time for grooming a new leader. Therefore, the only option left for the party is to poach leaders from the Opposition Congress.

This is not new for the BJP, which never had a credible Jat leader. In fact, even Prof. Jat was not a BJP man, originally. He had come via Janata Dal when after a split in the party in 1990; he chose to support Bhairon Singh Shekhawat government and later formally joined the BJP.

For any Rajasthan party, Jat support is vital to come to power. According to independent estimates, Jats comprise 10.8 per cent of the electorate and can influence as many as 50 seats. They had deserted the Congress and helped the BJP form its first government in 2003. Reason: They were angry with former CM Ashok Gehlot whom they held responsible for denying someone from their community a chance to become CM, thus chose to vote for chief minister Vasundhara Raje, a Jat Bahu, by virtue of marrying into Jat royal family of Dholpur.

Though the Jats, who are essentially a peasant community, viewed the BJP as a party of landlords, the party has managed to poach some Jat leaders from the Congress into its fold in the past two decades. Dr Hari Singh and Col Sonaram Choudhary were inducted in the party ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Similarly, Union minister C.R. Choudhary brother-in-law of former Congress MP Ram Raghunath Choudhary. He was instrumental in getting the latter's son Ajay Singh Kilak, a minister in Ms Raje's government and, daughter Bindu Choudhary into the BJP fold.

However, the party faced an exodus of Jat leaders recently leaving it without a single Jat leader of substance. Dr Hari Singh is back in the Congress and so is Subhash Maharia, a prominent Jat face in Shekhawati region. Former Speaker Sumitra Singh also left the party miffed at being denied a ticket in 2013.

Hanuman Beniwal a popular leader from Nagaur had won on a BJP ticket in 2008, but left the party after a tiff with Ms Raje.

At present, there is a leadership vacuum within the Jat community. Even, the Congress is struggling as present Jat leaders are unable to fill the vacuum left behind by Parasram Maderna, Sisram Ola, Nathuram Mirdha, and Ram Niwas Mirdha. They are either discredited or limited to their seats.

So the BJP is looking out for leaders from the community and wouldn’t mind anyone who can boast Jat credentials. A lot will depend on the circumstances around the time of ticket distribution and credentials of candidates who appraoch BJP after rejection by the Congress. Still, there are some plausible choices such as Ajmer dairy federation chairperson Ramchandra Chaudhary.

Mr Vishvendra, who was in the BJP till he quit due to differences with the CM prior in 2008, may also try a comeback to the saffron party after the death of Dr Singh.

With Assembly polls an year away and litle time to groom another Jat leader, the BJP has no option but to poach prominent leaders from the Congress