The Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan witnesses an exciting triangular contest, as the local RLP (National Democratic Party) leaders unexpectedly pledged their support to BJP candidate Kailash Choudhary on Thursday. The move caught both the Congress candidate Umedaram Beniwal and RLP supremo Hanuman Beniwal by surprise. RLP's Barmer leader Gajendra Choudhary announced his endorsement for Kailash Choudhary for the forthcoming elections on April 26.
While addressing the media, Gajendra Choudhary explained that RLP had previously aligned with the INDIA alliance in Rajasthan. But some Congress leaders in the constituency opposed this alliance, compelling RLP to switch their support to Kailash Choudhary in Barmer. Choudhary shed light on an incident from 2019, where RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal allegedly faced an attack by some individuals tied to the Congress in the Baytu area of Barmer. This incident deeply impacted them and escalated their resentment and distrust towards the Congress.
Meanwhile, Congress suspected a BJP conspiracy behind these events. Sources claim the selection of Umedaram Beniwal as a Congress candidate—a former RLP affiliate who joined Congress just days before the nomination—is a significant reason for the local RLP leaders' dissatisfaction.
Choudhary stated that Congress leaders have attempted to break up their party and that their workers do not receive due respect there. Consequently, they have decided to back BJP's candidate Kailash Choudhary independently in Barmer. He reminded that four years ago, in 2019, Congress affiliates had launched a life-threatening attack on both Beniwal, the RLP supremo, and Kailash Choudhary, the current Minister of State for Agriculture, in Baytu. This has caused considerable anger among their workers, and Congress leaders are still skeptical about the alliance, questioning their intentions.
It is rumored that Congress initially agreed to give the Nagaur and Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha seats to RLP in the coalition but later engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions with Umedaram Beniwal, persuading him to join Congress. This has caused significant upset among many RLP leaders in Barmer-Jaisalmer. The RLP has historically received substantial support from the Jat community in this area, and the Jat vote holds considerable sway over this seat.
Potential Upside for Ravindra Bhati
In the tri-cornered fight between Kailash Choudhary, Umedaram Beniwal, and independent candidate Ravindra Singh Bhati, a split in Jat votes could benefit Bhati. Additionally, if Bhati manages to intrude into BJP's core OBC vote base and simultaneously attract a significant portion of Congress' Muslim voters, his path to victory could be significantly smoother.
RLP to Realign with BJP?
Concurrently, there is speculation that the BJP might strategize to prevent the division of Jat votes and potentially bring RLP back into its fold. Nonetheless, there's also hearsay that RLP leaders made this decision without consulting their chief Hanuman Beniwal, as he is actively campaigning for Congress candidates this election. In response, BJP candidate Kailash Choudhary expressed his gratitude for the support from RLP workers.
Following the support from RLP, Minister and BJP candidate Kailash Choudhary said that the RLP workers have shown support to BJP. He expressed his gratitude and also targeted Congress by claiming no action was taken against the 2019 attacks on Hanuman Beniwal and himself owing to Congress ruling in the state.
