Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 10 Key Constituencies In Rajasthan Set For Intriguing Contests

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rajasthan's 25 Lok Sabha seats are set to face intense competition, especially in 10 key constituencies. Know all about it here.

File Photos of BJP leader Om Birla and Congress party veteran CP Joshi ( Image Source :PTI | X/@drcpjoshi )

Polling for 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan is set to take place in two phases this month, with expectations of fierce competition in at least 10 constituencies. The Congress has nominated candidates for 22 seats, forming alliances for Nagaur and Sikar, while the BJP has fielded candidates for all 25 seats.

Churu, Kota-Bundi, Sikar, Nagaur, Banswara, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Rajsamand, and Barmer are some of the constituencies identified as battlegrounds where tough contests are expected. The Congress has strategically fielded turncoats in several constituencies, including Churu, Kota-Bundi, and Barmer, while the BJP has nominated candidates on all 25 seats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent review of election preparations and roadshows in Sikar mark the BJP's campaign kick-off in the Shekhawati region.

The Congress, aiming to improve its electoral prospects, has allied with regional parties like RLP and CPI (M) in Nagaur and Sikar, respectively. Meanwhile, the BJP, aiming to retain its dominance is going solo.

In the last two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP independently won all 25 seats in Rajasthan, while the Congress, despite being in power in 2019, failed to secure any seats. The grand old party's strategy this time includes attracting turncoats and forging alliances to challenge BJP stalwarts.

Lok Sabha Election 2024: 10 Key Constituencies In Rajasthan

• Churu, a Jat-dominated constituency, witnesses a face-off between BJP's new face Devendra Jhajharia and Congress's Rahul Kaswan, a two-time MP. Amid internal feud between former leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathore and Churu MP Rahul Kaswan, the Congress wooed Kaswan following which he resigned as MP.  
  
  Shortly after his induction, the Congress made Kaswan, a two-time MP, its candidate from Churu where the BJP gave a ticket to paralympic Devendra Jhajharia.
  
  Churu is situated in northern Rajasthan and candidates of both the major parties belong to the same community.  In the assembly constituencies, the Congress has its MLAs in five out of eight seats under the Churu Lok Sabha seat, the BJP has two seats, and the BSP one. Even while appearing to be in a strong position, the grand old party placed its bets on the BJP turncoat instead of fielding own leader. 
  
  
• In Kota-Bundi, former MLA Prahlad Gunjal, known for his proximity to Vasundhara Raje, contests against incumbent MP Om Birla. Gunjal is another BJP turncoat who joined the Congress and was made the party candidate from the seat. Meanwhile, Om Birla is a two-time MP and also Lok Sabha Speaker. 
  
  
• In Sikar, former CPI (M) MLA Amraram, backed by the Congress, takes on BJP's Swami Sumedhanand.
  
  
• The Jat-dominated Nagaur seat sees a fierce battle between old rivals — former Congress MP Jyoti Mirdha and RLP's Hanuman Beniwal, who defeated Mirdha in 2019.
  
  Beniwal is contesting the upcoming General election in an alliance with the Congress and is an influential Jat leader who won this seat in 2019 under an alliance with the BJP by defeating Jyoti Mirdha, who was then a Congress candidate.  
  
  Jyoti Mirdha joined the saffron party ahead of the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections and contested it on the Nagaur seat. She was defeated by her uncle and Congress candidate Harendra Mirdha. 
  
  
• In southern Rajasthan which is tribal-dominated, the BJP has fielded former Congress minister and popular tribal leader Mahendrajeet Singh Malvia on the Banswara seat. According to news agency PTI, the Congress is eyeing a tie-up with a new party Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) to counter Malvia and is yet to declare its candidate.
  
  BAP MLA Rajkumar Roat was earlier declared as a BAP candidate. However, he filed nomination papers as an independent candidate. BAP is represented by three MLAs in the state.  
  
  
• Barmer constituency in western Rajasthan adds to the electoral drama with Congress fielding Ummedaram against BJP's Union Minister of State Kailash Chaudhary. Independent MLA Ravindra Bhati, a first-time MLA and youth leader, has also entered the fray adding to the interesting electoral battle.
  
  Ummedaram had left Hanuman Beniwal's RLP and joined the Congress.  As per PTI, Bhati is a BJP rebel who is popular among the locals. He had contested the 2023 assembly elections from the seat of Barmer as an independent candidate and won the seat. He is said to have been vocal about students' rights, which made him popular among the electorate. A crowd-puller, Bhati's rallies garnered good participation from people before the assembly elections.  

• Damodar Gurjar has been fielded from Rajsamand by the Congress where the proposed candidate Sudarshan Singh Rawat had announced his unwillingness to contest as his consent had not been taken before his name was announced. Notably, BJP has fielded Mahima Vishweshwar Singh from this constituency who is a royal and a Rajput from Udaipur. Rajsamand was previously represented by Jaipur royal Diya Kumari, who is now the deputy chief minister in the Rajasthan government. 

• In Bhilwara, Damodar Gurjar was replaced by veteran Congress leader C.P. Joshi, addressing concerns among the Brahmin community about their representation in the grand old party's nominations. The BJP is yet to announce a candidate here. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP's Subhash Chandra Baheria won from this seat by securing 9,38,160 votes.
  
  
• In Jaipur, Sunil Sharma's candidature was withdrawn amidst controversies regarding his connection with the right-wing platform Jaipur Dialogues, with Pratap Singh Khachariyawas replacing him. BJP has given a ticket to Manju Sharma, a new face who is said to have been active in the party for several years. She was the former state general secretary of BJP's Mahila Morcha.
  
  
• Udaipur Lok Sabha constituency is another interesting seat having been a former Congress stronghold, consisting of eight assembly segments in Rajasthan. The grand old party won the Udaipur seat 10 times since the 1952 elections, however, the BJP has wrested the seat in successive elections in 2014 and 2019.
  
  An interesting contest is expected in the Udaipur Lok Sabha seat as two officers face off. Congress candidate and former IAS officer Tarachand Meena will be facing BJP candidate Mannalal Ravat, who has also served as an officer in Udaipur. According to Times Of India, Rawat served as an employee of RSRTC in four to five districts, including Udaipur, and was not engaged in BJP activities earlier. However, he has been associated with the party's ideological parent the RSS. On the other hand, Tarachand Meena, who previously served as Udaipur Collector, is believed to be close to former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and took a voluntary retirement before joining the Congress.

In the last two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP independently won all 25 seats in Rajasthan, while the Congress, despite being in power in 2019, failed to secure any seats. The Congress's strategy includes capitalizing on internal feuds and attracting turncoats to strengthen its position.