NEW DELHI
By fielding Rajsamand MP Diya Kumari, a former royal, from Jaipur’s Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency, a traditional seat that the BJP has won since its creation in 2008, the party has not just cemented its position in this seat, but has made it even harder for the Congress to win from this seat.
The BJP has fielded Diya Kumari, by replacing senior sitting BJP MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi, the son-in-law of former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Rajvi won thrice from this seat. He won the 2008 and 2013 Assembly elections by defeating Congress candidate Vikram Singh by a margin of 9,040 and 37,913 respectively. In the 2018 elections, Congress replaced Vikram Singh with Sitaram Agarwal, whom he defeated by a margin of 31,380 votes. However, Rajvi has been replaced by Diya Kumari, a member of the former royal family of Jaipur.
Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency has remained loyal to the BJP in the last six major elections. In the 2019 Parliamentary elections, the BJP received 75% of the vote, while in the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP received 42% of the vote. The total voters in this constituency are 3,18483, out of which approximately 80,000 are Rajputs, 65,000 are Brahmins, and the rest are other castes. The BJP has always fielded a Rajput candidate from this seat; however, in the last election, Congress tried a Brahmin candidate, which also failed. The BJP has cemented this seat, and now Diya Kumari’s candidature has made it even harder for Congress to win. Till now, Congress has not fielded any candidates, and speculation is that they may find a new candidate, but as such, there are no such candidate as strong as Diya from this constituency.
Diya Kumari came into the limelight after she joined the BJP in 2013 and defeated Kirorilal Lal Meena, a BJP rebel then from the Swai Madhopur constituency dominated by the Meena community. This came as a surprise to many, showing Diya’s connection with the masses. A political observer believes that Diya’s rise could be Vasundhara Raje’s fall, as the BJP may try to use her as a replacement for Raje. The BJP may push Diya as the CM candidate if she comes to power.
JHOTWARA
The BJP has fielded Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a sitting MP from Jaipur Rural constituency, replacing Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, a two-time MLA and former Minister in Rajasthan. Jhotwara has a total of 3,56,039 voters. Rajpal is considered close to Vasundhara Raje, and he was defeated in the 2018 election by former Union Minister Lalchand Kataria by a margin of approximately 10,000 votes. However, this move has sparked some disappointment from supporters of Rajpal Shekhawat. Jhotwara has been won twice by the BJP, but with a smaller margin, despite its nearby constituencies being held by the saffron party. Jaipur is considered a stronghold of the BJP. Out of 19 Assembly constituencies lying in the district, the BJP won 16 seats, and Congress could manage only a single seat in Jhotwara.
The BJP wants to repeat its previous performance, and as a result, Rathore has been fielded as a push to win all 19 seats. Jhotwara has a smaller win margin, even when the BJP won it in 2008 and 2013. Rajyavardhan Rathore’s candidature could fix this seat too, where Congress seems strong. As per Congress sources, Kataria would be given a ticket from this seat again. Rathore may face a tough challenge on this seat not only from Congress, but also from BJP rebels like Shekhawat and Ashu Singh Surpura, who has declared to fight as an independent candidate.