Caste math, averting dissent — why Rajasthan CM is placating upset BJP leaders

New Delhi: Eyeing a victory in a number of key Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has made a bid to curb dissent by appointing seven BJP leaders — believed to be upset with the celebration — as chairmen of assorted state authorities organisations.

The transfer got here early Saturday, hours earlier than the Election Commission (EC) held a press convention notifying the dates of the Lok Sabha elections and placing in power the mannequin code of conduct.

The seven seats the place the CM is figuring out the caste and electoral math are Nagaur, Jodhpur, Sikar, Ajmer, Bikaner, Churu and Ganganagar. These are additionally the seats the place reviews of resentment amongst BJP leaders and employees have surfaced.

C.R. Chaudhary, the previous Nagaur MP, has been appointed because the chairman of the Rajasthan Farmers’ Commission. Meanwhile, Jaswant Singh Bishnoi, the previous Jodhpur MP, identified for his cryptic posts on X regarding Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (who can also be the BJP candidate from Jodhpur), has been named because the chairman of the animal welfare board.

Om Prakash Bhadana, who was denied a ticket for the state meeting polls, has been made chairman of Devnarayan Board, whereas former bureaucrat Rajendra Nayak, who contested as an Independent in opposition to the BJP candidate from Sujangarh meeting seat final yr and managed to chop his votes, has been made chairman of Rajasthan Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Commission.

Prahlad Tank, who was additionally denied a ticket for the 2023 polls, has been made chairman of Mati Kala Board, Ramgopal Suthar has been made chairman of Vishwakarma Skill Development Board, and former MLA Prem Singh Bajor, identified to be influential among the many Rajput neighborhood, has been made chairman of the Department of Sainik Welfare.

Speaking to ThePrint on situation of anonymity, a senior Rajasthan BJP chief stated, “These seven appointments were necessary to satisfy those leaders who are influential in these Lok Sabha seats and were annoyed due to denial of ticket or other reasons. Through these appointments, the party has sent a message to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits and upper caste communities.”

“All these leaders appointed have a track record of working for their community and this will help the party in the Lok Sabha election,” he added.

CM Sharma has additionally made a number of efforts, in keeping with BJP sources, to dealer truce between warring leaders in Jodhpur and Chittorgarh constituencies, from the place Shekhawat and state celebration president C.P. Joshi are contesting, respectively.

In Jodhpur, he has made peace between Shekhawat and Shergarh MLA Babu Singh Rathore, who had final month criticised the previous. In Chittorgarh, he has managed to speak Chandrabhan Singh Aakya out of giving Joshi a battle.

Speaking to ThePrint, Aakya stated, “I have decided not to fight the Lok Sabha election. My grievances have been addressed and the CM has taken initiative to address concerns.”

Aakya, who was denied an meeting ballot ticket after a bitter battle with Joshi, had introduced final week that he would contest the Lok Sabha ballot from Chittorgarh. Aakya additionally stated that he was taking revenge due to his animosity with Joshi since school days.


Also Read: Rift emerges in Rajasthan BJP as MLA takes swipe at Union minister Shekhawat — ‘only does lip service’ 


Poll ways

Two-time former MP Jaswant Bishnoi, who obtained elected from Jodhpur in 1999 and 2004, had posted a collection of cryptic tweets earlier this month after he discovered himself out of competition for the Lok Sabha election.

Bishnoi’s posts, in Hindi, expressed his obvious unhappiness within the celebration, stating that “nobody is listening” and “that is why we remain silent”. Another post stated that “my experience says express your emotions where emotions are valued”. The posts have been put up quickly after the declaration on 2 March of the BJP’s first record of 15 Lok Sabha candidates from Rajasthan.

Speaking about Bishnoi’s new cost, BJP’s Jodhpur metropolis unit chief Devendra Salecha stated that “the Jodhpur seat has a significant number of Bishnoi voters and it was in the interest of the party to satisfy Bishnoi”.

During the chief-ministership of veteran BJP chief Vasundhara Raje, from 2013 to 2018, Bishnoi had served as chairman of Central Wool Development Board and, in 2018, was named chairman of the Rajasthan Khadi Gramodyog Board. He was changed by Shekhawat as Jodhpur candidate within the 2014 basic elections.

Shekhawat has been going through bother from Babu Singh Rathore, who accused him of neglecting developmental initiatives in Shergarh, which falls below Jodhpur constituency. BJP sources stated the CM has taken initiatives to deliver the 2 leaders collectively in order that the celebration wins Jodhpur.

Placating ‘rebels’

Chaudhary has been given chairmanship of Rajasthan Farmers’ Commission after the BJP selected Jyoti Mirdha as its Nagaur candidate.

Chaudhary had develop into a minister within the Modi authorities after profitable from Nagaur in 2014 by defeating Mirdha, then within the Congress. But he didn’t get a ticket for the 2019 basic elections. His supporters had then demanded a ticket for him for the Rajasthan meeting polls final yr, however the BJP inducted Mirdha and gave her the ticket from Nagaur meeting seat. While she misplaced the ballot, she has now been fielded from the Nagaur Lok Sabha seat.

Since the candidates have been introduced, Chaudhary has stored a distance from celebration programmes.

According to BJP sources, the celebration realised the necessity to mollify Chaudhary for clean crusing of Mirdha in Nagaur and awarded him cost of Rajasthan Farmers’ Commission.

Similarly, Bhadana, a Gurjar who hails from Ajmer, was denied a ticket for the 2023 meeting elections, however is now being mollified to win Ajmer constituency’s estimated 1.5 lakh Gurjar voters.

Keeping in thoughts his credentials and Ajmer Lok Sabha seat arithmetic, he has been awarded chairmanship of Devnarayan Board.

Bajaur, two-time former MLA, has been referred to as the BJP’s Rajput face in Rajasthan and for his work amongst military personnel. He has reportedly put in 1,150 idols of sainiks within the state who sacrificed their lives on the border.

He had served as chairman of the Department of Sainik Welfare throughout Raje’s regime too and thru his appointment, the BJP has tried to pacify his Rajput supporters.

Tank, who belongs to the OBC neighborhood, was denied a ticket from Ganganagar meeting seat within the 2023 state polls, and has now been made chairman of Mati Kala Board.

He had fought as a insurgent within the 2018 meeting election on a BSP ticket, however returned to the celebration in 2019. With his appointment, the BJP is outwardly making an attempt to succeed in out to the OBC neighborhood.

Nayak, who joined the BJP earlier than 2021 and was a ticket aspirant within the 2023 meeting election from Sujangarh (Churu district), rebelled and contested as an unbiased. He obtained solely round 4,000 votes however BJP candidate Santosh Meghwal misplaced by 2,000 votes as a result of his insurrection.

After the election, he rejoined the BJP and has been made the chairman of Rajasthan Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Commission to win over the Dalit neighborhood in Churu district.

The BJP is already taking a look at a tricky battle in Churu as its MP Rahul Kaswan defected to the Congress on 11 March.

Suthar’s appointment to the Vishwakarma Board has been made as a result of his lengthy affiliation with the celebration, his closeness to CM Sharma in addition to to ship a message to OBC voters, stated BJP sources.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)


Also Read: BJP’s social engineering in Rajasthan — why the celebration selected Bhajanlal Sharma as CM