There is going to be a real challenging task for the BJP to get the repeat in the 2024-Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan as it had full majority in 2014 and 2019 on all 25 seats.

On one hand, the BJP is trying its best to make a hat trick in the state but on the electoral field, the reputation of four BJP ministers and the Speaker is at stake. One-on-one election contest on twelve out of 25 Lok Sabha seats is getting neck and neck as the voting for the first phase on 12 seats is due on April 19, and the second phase on 13 seats on April 26.

The BJP’s star campaigners are focusing their main goals on four Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav in Alwar, Kailash Choudhary in Barmer, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Jodhpur, Arjun Ram Meghwal in Bikaner, and Speaker Om Birla in Kota-Bundi LS constituencies.

Besides, the prestige of the top leaders of the BJP and the Congress is precarious in 12 out of 25 seats. These seats are Banswara, Jhunjhunu, Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Barmer, Nagaur, Kota-Bundi, Jalore, Sikar, Dausa, Churu, Alwar, and Jaipur.

Congress is in doldrum on the Banswara LS seat as its candidate Arvind Damor did not withdraw his nomination papers in support of INDIA bloc’s Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) candidate Raj Kumar Roat (sitting MLA in Rajasthan). Both the Congress and the BAP are in utter confusion whether to follow the INDIA alliance norms or contest independently. Congress and BAP are in a triangular contest with Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya who quit his Congress MLA seat and joined the BJP. BJP is on a sticky wicket in Barmer, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Nagaur, and Kota LS constituencies where the saffron is facing neck and neck contests against their party rivals.

It is not going to be a cake walk for LS Speaker Om Birla to get a hat trick on Kota-Bundi seat, as BJP’s senior leader Prahalad Gunjal, who recently joined the Congress party, with the majority of Gurjar, Meena, Minority votes, and enjoying BJP workers’ internal support giving sleepless nights to the Speaker who is canvassing door to door with his family and supporters in Hadoti region.

Similarly, the BJP is on rough roads of poll battle in Churu as BJP’s MP Rahul Kanswa, who was denied the party ticket and joined the Congress party, is challenging Para-Olympian Devendra Jhajharia. Former BJP Minister Rajendra Rathore who belonged to Churu district and lost the assembly poll last year and was not considered as a candidate for this seat will have a major decisive role on this very seat.

Nagaur LS seat is another key constituency where BJP’s former alliance partner of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Hanuman Beniwal, who is become now the INDIA bloc partner is giving a hard poll campaign to BJP’s Jyoti Mirdha, who moved from the Congress to BJP, on the basis to get the Mirdha community (Jat) open support on which the Modi government has a strong reliance.

An Independent candidate Ravindra Singh Bhati, who was expecting a Congress ticket, has made the Barmer LS seat a triangular contest with the Union Minister Kailash Choudhary (BJP) and Congress’ Umedaram Beniwal.

BJP’s prominent saint Sumedhanand Sarswati is having a tough poll trail campaign in the Sikar constituency against INDIA block partner of CPI-M Amraram, a farmer leader having the open support of Congress and comrades from adjoining districts of Srigananagar and Haunumangar.

Former Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been camping and electioneering in western districts of Rajasthan for the last one month for his son Vaibhav Gehlot who is contesting against the BJP’s newcomer of RSS Lumba Ram Choudhary on the Jalore seat. In the 2019 LS poll Vaibhav had lost the Jodhpur LS seat by a huge margin of 4 lakh votes against the BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is now the Union Minister.

Young Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s blue-eyed candidate Murarli Lal Meena (former minister) on Dausa and Harish Meena (sitting MLA) on Tonk-Sawai Madhopur LS seats are vying against BJP’s Kanhaiya Lal Meena, a new face, and Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria (sitting MP) respectively.

BJP’s Jaipur-City seat is not going to be a walk over for Manju Sharma, a daughter of former BJP Minister Bhanwar Lal Sharma, as the former Congress Minister and strong young leader Pratap Singh Khachariawas is daily walking on roads and walled city’s narrow lanes and holding poll campaign meeting with folded hands before the voters.

Bhupendra Yadav, the Union Minister and RS MP, who replaced the sitting MP Balak Nath, is in a one-to-one contest with the Congress’ sitting MLA Lalit Yadav who belongs to the Matsya region of Alwar district and open support of Yadav community, Congress’ traditional voter banks.
Despite all pros and cons of election complications, the BJP contestants are hoping to win their seats either on Modi face or Lotus symbol.
(Dr. Yash Goyal is The Indian Panorama Special Correspondent, based in Jaipur)