How BJP's aggressive campaign exploited Congress' weaknesses to secure decisive victory in Rajasthan thehindu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehindu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rajasthan s Jats, who hold over half of the assembly seats, lack a statewide leader. Hanuman Beniwal aims to fill this gap by establishing himself as a third force in the state s bipolar politics. Jats influence around 70 assembly seats, with 50 playing a decisive role. However, Rajasthan has never had a Jat chief minister. The two dominant Jat dynasties, Maderna and Mirdha, are limited to two or three areas.
It is a high-stake election for both leaders to settle old scores. For Maderna, it is a chance to take revenge from BJP s Bhairaram Siyol for her mother s defeat in 2013 assembly polls from Osian. Whereas, for BJP s Mirdha in Nagaur, it is to settle a four-decade old score when her grandfather Nathuram Mirdha was defeated by Congress rival Harendra Mirdha s father Ram Niwas Mirdha in 1984 general elections.
Hanuman Beniwal, leader of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, has formed an alliance with the Aaj Samaj Party for the Rajasthan polls. They are seen as a third alternative to the Congress and BJP, with a fighting chance in over 100 seats. Beniwal states that they will not align with any party in a hung assembly and will aim to form their own government. He denies having a secret pact with Ashok Gehlot and claims to have ensured the defeat of Gehlot s son in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. | Latest News India