How dynasty politics is at play in Rajasthan polls

The BJP in Rajasthan has made a surprise decision of fielding Mahima Singh from the Rajsamand Lok Sabha seat. Mahima is a new entrant in politics, just like husband Vishwaraj Singh, scion of the erstwhile Mewar royalty who was elected as party MLA from Nathdwara in his debut assembly election contest last year. The BJP decided to field Mahima with an eye on the Rajput votes in Rajsamand.

The upcoming polls are witnessing two sitting MLAs, both former chief ministers, campaign hard for their sons’ Lok Sabha candidatures. Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Ashok Gehlot, is the Congress candidate from Jalore. He changed his seat after losing badly to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur in 2019.Â

Jalore has a stronger presence of voters from Gehlot’s Mali case than the Rajput-dominated Jodhpur constituency, where both the Congress and BJP have fielded Rajput candidates.

In the fray in Jhalawar-Baran is Dushyant Singh, a veteran as he contests to win for the fifth time the constituency inherited from mother Vasundhara Raje of the BJP. Dushyant has been active in politics as a parliamentarian for two decades, and is seeking votes both for his work and in the name of his family legacy—Vasundhara, who is a former chief minister, and maternal grandmother Vijayaraje Scindia.Â

Dushyant faces Urmila Jain Bhaya, from a Congress political family. She is the wife of former Congress minister Pramod Jain Bhaya and had lost the Jhalawar-Baran seat to Dushyant in 2009.

From Jaipur, the BJP has fielded Manju Sharma, daughter of the late Bhanwar Lal, who had represented assembly constituencies in Jaipur in the past. Manju lost from her father’s Hawa Mahal assembly seat in 2008. In giving her candidature over sitting MP Ramcharan Bohra, the BJP is deploying the strategy of relying on a Brahmin candidate for Jaipur and also conveying that the party rewards loyal leaders like Bhanwar Lal.

A strong caste compulsion has forced the BJP to field Jyoti Mirdha, granddaughter of Jat leader Nathuram Mirdha from Nagaur. The BJP does not have enough reach in Jat-dominated Nagaur and had inducted Jyoti into the party in the run-up to the 2023 assembly elections and even given her a ticket. But she lost.

In 2014 and 2019, Jyoti had lost from Nagaur Lok Sabha seat as a Congress candidate. She has won the seat only once in 2009. Fielding her under these circumstances suggests the party may not have a credible alternative for Nagaur.

In Jhunjhunu, the Congress has fielded a Jat candidate—sitting MLA Brijendra Singh Ola, who is the son of the late Sheesh Ram Ola, a former Union minister and powerful Jat leader. Brijendra has said he is not keen on contesting the general election. From adjoining Churu, recent Congress inductee Rahul Kaswan is the party’s candidate. He has been a BJP MP for two tenures. Kaswan is from a political family with father Ram Singh a former parliamentarian.Â

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