Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seen here with his son, Vaibhav Gehlot.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jaipur: The Congress party today released the names of 10 Lok Sabha candidates for Rajasthan, awarding the Churu seat to former BJP strongman, Rahul Kaswan, and consequently turning it into one of the most interesting contests in the desert state.
Another engaging contest will be fought over the Jalore-Sirohi seat as Congress has fielded Vaibhav Gehlot, son of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, against BJP’s Numbaram Choudhury, a relatively unknown candidate.
Vaibhav had lost the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat in 2019 against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, a BJP heavyweight.
Political observers say Vaibhav’s candidature shows Ashok Gehlot’s opinion is still being given importance within the Congress. His relationship with the party high command was apparently strained following Congress’ loss in the Assembly polls and his earlier rebellion over the Congress presidency issue.
Jalore-Sirohi constituency, located in the south-western corner of Rajasthan has a sizable Mali population, the caste from which Gehlot hails from. The constituency is dominated by OBC, SC, Mali and Seervi castes, which can prove lucky for Vaibhav. It is considered a relatively safe seat for Vaibhav despite BJP winning the last three elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Devji Patel, who has won the Jalore-Sirohi seat for BJP before, was asked to contest from Sanchore, from where he has lost in the past. Instead, BJP this time has placed its bets on the low-key Numbaram Choudhury in Jalore. Currently, the constituency comprises eight Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) segments -- Ahore, Jalore, Bhinmal, Sanchore, Raniwara, Sirohi, Pindwara Abu and Reodar.
The Jalore, Pindwara Abu and Reodar seats are reserved for candidates belonging to SC category. Jalore-Sirohi is an underdeveloped constituency and depends on neighbouring Gujarat for medical facilities, drinking and irrigation water. Political observers say Vaibhav may just scrape through if he works hard while campaigning.
In Churu, the fight is going to be engrossing as Congress candidate Rahul Kaswan, the former BJP MP from Churu, joined the party a day before.
After being declared the Congress candidate, Kaswan, 47, thanked the Congress leaders, saying they have reposed faith on a farmer and one who hails from a family which has been "serving the people of the region for the past 33 years.”
Kaswan, who belongs to the Jat community, is said to have been dropped by BJP as senior leader Rajendra Singh Rathore complained about Kaswan's hand in his defeat from Taranagar Assembly constituency. Kaswan would be fighting against paralympian javelin thrower and BJP candidate Devendra Jhajahriya, who also hails from Churu.
“Kaswan’s candidature would affect the Jat belt in neighbouring constituencies Nagaur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Bikaner, which have a sizable Jat population. They form 15% of the total population.
"Jats are said to be angry with BJP over a number of issues including the farmers’ stir, handling of the women wrestlers’ issue, the Agniveer controversy and former Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik outburst against BJP, who again hails from the politically influential Jat community,” Narayan Bareth, a senior political analyst told DH.
Congress has fielded Karan Singh Unchiyarda from Jodhpur against BJP heavyweight Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Uchiyarda, a real estate dealer, is said to be close to Sachin Pilot but is otherwise a political novice.
In Bikaner, a SC reserved constituency, Congress’ Govind Ram Meghwal will fight against BJP’s union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
In Alwar, BJP heavyweight Bhupendra Yadav is looking at an easy contest against Congress’ Lalit Yadav, although both hail from the dominant Yadav caste in the constituency.
In Chittorgarh, Congress has put up one of the richest candidates, Udailal Anjana, with an asset of Rs 122.9 crore as shown in his affidavit, against BJP state president C P Joshi. There were rumours before that Anjana was shifting camps to join BJP. He had earlier been defeated in the 2023 Nimbaheda Assembly seat. Anjana has also been a minister in the Gehlot government and also a Congress MP from Chittorgarh in 1998.
In Bharatpur, another SC constituency, Congress has reposed faith in young Sanjana Jatav, who was given the Assembly seat of Kathumar where she lost to BJP’s Ramesh Khinchi. In Udaipur, a ST constituency, Congress has put up former IPS officer Tarachand Meena against BJP’s Panna Lal Rawat.
Congress has put up all new faces in the 10 constituencies so far, shuffling the candidates between seats. “Congress has nothing to lose. Even winning a single seat would be a plus for them,” says Bareth.
BJP has been winning all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the past two elections. In 2019, BJP tied up with Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, which Beniwal won with BJP support, making it a clean sweep for the saffron party.
There are talks that Congress would also be tying up with smaller parties like Bharatiya Tribal Party in Banswara and CPM in Sikar but there is no clarity on the issue yet.