Cong. alliance may dent BJP sway over Jats in Rajasthan
The Congress’ decision to enter into an alliance in Rajasthan with two parties for the Lok Sabha election is set to pose a challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Jat belt, in the view that the politically influential community, which was a traditional adherent of the Congress, has largely shifted its support to the BJP in the last decade.
The Congress has extended support to Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hunaman Beniwal in Nagaur and Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Amra Ram in Sikar, both of whom have been fielded as the Opposition INDIA bloc’s candidates. Both Mr. Beniwal and Mr. Ram belong to the Jat community.
Jats comprise about 14% of the State’s population. Notably, the BJPled National Democratic Alliance had swept all 25 seats in Rajasthan in the 2014 and 2019 general election.
Besides the two candidates, the Congress has given tickets to six Jats in the constituencies where the community has a significant population. They include Rahul Kaswan from Jhunjhunu, who resigned both as an MP and from the BJP’s primary membership, and Ummeda Ram
The party has extended support to Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and the CPI(M)
Beniwal from Barmer, who left the RLP and joined Congress.
In the Jat belt, which largely spreads from Barmer in western Rajasthan to Sriganganagar in the north and through Nagaur district and the Shekhawati region, the issues of minimum support price for crops, remunerative prices for agricultural produce, electoral bonds, the Agniveer scheme, and the recent wrestlers’ protest have started dominating the public discourse.
Dalit and Muslim voters, who have a significant presence in the Jat belt, are also likely to play an important role in the election as their support to the farming community will tilt the balance.
‘Walking on crutches’
The BJP, which has fielded six Jat candidates in the State, has questioned the Congress’ alliance. BJP State president C.P. Joshi said at an election rally in Churu that the alliance had proved that the Congress, weakened by its internal squabbles, was “walking on crutches”.