In Kota, Birla faces challenge from arch rival, a Raje loyalist

TWO- TIME BJP MP Om Birla is facing a tough contest in his Kota Lok Sabha seat, which votes on April 26. One reason is his “absence” from his constituency during his last term, in which he served as the LS Speaker. The second is his challenger, the Congress’s Prahlad Gunjal, a former BJP leader and Vasundhara Raje loyalist.

“Birla was not seen in the constituency for the last five years. Now that elections are here, he is touring, taking PM Narendra Modi’s name,” says Mahesh Bairwa, a resident of Rangpur village.

Residents say all of Birla’s visits to Kota since 2019 have been restricted to public meetings in the city, with the MP barely touching rural areas.

Suresh Meena, a resident of Nayagaon village, who calls himself an “ardent” follower of Modi, says he will vote for Gunjal. “He is a powerful leader, connected to the ground.”

Gunjal is believed to have left the BJP for the Congress due to growing differences with Birla. The two leaders, who started their political journey at the same time, were caught in a tussle for dominance over the city. As Raje lost his clout in the state unit, so did Gunjal in Kota.

A Congress leader, speaking anonymously, said: “The entry of

Gunjal energised the ranks. Kota was seen as a one- sided contest.”

However, the leader said, their main challenge is the enduring appeal of Modi. A few BJP supporters in Barodiya village, for example, say that while they have no love lost for Birla, they will vote for him to get Modi back as PM.

The Congress is hoping Gunjal will get a majority of Gujjar community votes, plus the Meena tribal and Muslim votes. Along with the three, Rajputs, who have been unhappy with the BJP in the state, and SCS are some prominent castes in the area. Gunjal told The

Indian Express: “There is no place for leadership in BJP... There were some issues between Om Birla and me. I wanted senior leadership to resolve them, but they did not pay heed.” FULL REPORT