Jaipur: The BJP, which was aiming for a hat-trick in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, lost 11 seats in Rajasthan. The major loss has left all senior party leaders shocked and surprised and they are refusing to comment on it. However, off the record, they are engaged in significant discussions.
Party leaders confirmed to IANS that the senior leaders failed to balance the Rajput and Jat equations in the state. They were overconfident and considered that Rajasthan has become a major BJP dominated state and hence claimed that the party will win all 25 seats.
Due to this over confidence, the personal fight between Rajendra Rathore, a seven-time MLA from Churu and Rahul Kaswan, a two-time sitting MP from Churu, was brought into the party fold and the party denied a ticket to Kaswan. This became a game changer in Rajasthan politics and left the Jat lobby annoyed.
The consequences were also manifested in other parts of the state like Barmer and Jhunjhunu and Sikar and were also felt in parts of Haryana as the Jats boycotted the BJP.
Surprisingly, no senior leader could be seen who could have checked the deteriorating equations between the BJP and the Jat leader.
Satish Poonia, ex BJP state president who was removed from that post before the assembly elections, had left the Jats infuriated for he came from the Jat lobby.
The party lost a major vote bank in the form of Jats and the party lost in Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Barmer and Ganganagar.
The Rajput community was equally angered by the BJP. They complained that they had not been given adequate representation in the assembly polls. Also they were annoyed saying that ex-royal families were given a chance to represent the state but the common Rajputs had been left out.
Further, the statement of Gujarat leader and Union Minister Parshottam Rupala provoked the Rajputs to boycott the saffron party and the BJP lost a big chunk of votes here. Rupala had said, “Erstwhile maharajas (Kshatriya kings) had succumbed to foreign rulers like the British and forged family bonds with them. Princely families broke bread with the British rulers and also married their daughters to them.”
The Meena voters were annoyed after veteran leader Kirodilal Meena was not given a decent portfolio after the assembly polls. Eventually the party lost the Dausa seat as the Meenas voted in support of the Congress. The Meenas, Gurjars and Jats boycotted the BJP and voted for the Congress making it victorious on the Bharatpur and Tonk Sawai Madhopur seats.
Thirdly, a leadership crisis was seen in the state. The entire election in Rajasthan was led by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. Besides him, no other leader was active in the state. Sharma’s total political experience in the state is of five months. He is a first time MLA who was anointed as Chief Minister. Senior leaders like Vasundhara Raje were stuck in their own areas. Raje was seen campaigning for her son Dushyant in Jhalawad throughout the elections. The BJP’s state president CP Joshi was contesting the election himself and former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore was stuck in Churu. The lack of an experienced leadership in the BJP became the reason for the big defeat, said sources.
The party workers banked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and did no ground work on their own. While the Congress changed 22 faces for the polls, the BJP could not change that many candidates. In fact, the people which it brought were also questioned. Also there were no young faces driving the youngsters, party leaders said.
Senior journalist Manish Godha said, “Caste equations went against the BJP in these elections, Major castes like Rajputs, Jats, Meenas and Gurjars boycotted the BJP. Kirodi became a factor for Meena, Gurjars were lured to Sachin Pilot, Jats boycotted due to the farm laws and the Kaswan issue and the Rajputs due to a Gujarat leader’s comments. These were four major castes which were a big vote bank for the BJP but did not favour the saffron party this time. The other major factor was that a strong leadership and a crowd puller face were missing. The BJP relied on general caste votes and the OBCs but these castes did not turn up for voting. Overdependence on PM Modi is yet another factor which came up.”
Meanwhile, State Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar said “A government is being formed in the country under the leadership of the NDA. The shortcomings that were there in Rajasthan will be reviewed. We accept the public mandate.”
Education minister Madan Dilawar said that “The party will review the low lead. The government will be formed under the leadership of the NDA. Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third time.”
(IANS)
