The 2024 elections in Rajasthan saw the lowest number of seats being won by the BJP since 2014, and caste seems to be the biggest reason for this change. Read the Article
-By Nitya Kaimal
In the recent elections, the BJP has emerged victorious in only 14 seats in Rajasthan out of 25. This is a drastic decrease as compared to when they swept up all 25 seats in 2019 and all but one in 2014. Despite also winning the assembly elections in 2023, the BJP is witnessing its worst performance in Rajasthan till date.
Everyone saw it coming. The analysts, the opposition parties, even the BJP themselves could sense a change on the horizon, but the magnitude of it took everyone by surprise. What led to this major shift in political support? The answer lies in the importance of caste in Rajasthan.
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The ‘Jat factor’ is significant. Many constituencies with a predominant jat majority voted for the INDI alliance over the BJP, showing a general dissatisfaction of the community with the party. This trend was also evident in Haryana. The constituencies of Churu, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu, won by the INDI alliance, together form the shekhawati region. The people of this region, a huge portion being jats, contribute to a significant chunk of the Indian armed forces and in the wake of Agniveer scheme this area witnessed a lot of protests and dissent against the same. This dissatisfaction has been translated into votes resulting in a loss for the BJP.
The community was also very vocal in their opposition to the farm bills as well as their call for reservation, all of which were unsatisfactorily addressed by the ruling party.
The winning candidate in the Churu constituency, Rahul Kaswan, is a Jat politician whose family has occupied this seat for years, but this time he was denied a ticket by the BJP. It must be a huge regret for the party, especially since the Congress took the opportunity to swipe him up and run on their behalf.
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The Gurjur and Meena community, who supported the BJP in the previous elections, were greatly disappointed to see a severe lack of their representation within the government, and these grievances were piling up as the 2024 elections approached. Eastern Rajasthan with its significant Adivasi and Dalit population, also voted in favour of the INDIA bloc despite having voted the BJP into power in the assembly elections just last year. In the state of Rajasthan, the SCs, STs, and OBCs have shown their dislike for the BJP.
The BJP’s decision to replace former chief minister Vasundhara Raje with the newcomer Bhajan Lal Sharma also seems to have backfired. Congress members like Bhawar Jitendra Singh have told the media that the less-than-satisfactory performance of the BJP in Rajasthan, especially over the past year, have contributed to this anti-bjp rhetoric in many parts of the state. This coupled with the public favour towards the people centric policies of former CM Ashok Gehlot has shifted the support of the electorate away from the incumbent party.
*दलित टाइम्स उन करोड़ो लोगो की आवाज़ है जिन्हें हाशिए पर रखा गया है। *
महिला, दलित और आदिवासियों के मुद्दों पर केंद्रित पत्रकारिता करने और मुख्यधारा की मीडिया में इनका प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए हमें आर्थिक सहयोग करें।
