Rebels may spoil even the last hope for the BJP in Rajasthan Assembly elections

New Delhi, Oct 22: It is not only anti-incumbency that is plaguing the Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but party rebels are also affecting its chances in the state badly with two big leaders from party parting ways. Leaders like Ghanshyam Tiwari and Manvendra Singh have taken their own ways and some more may revolt after ticket distribution.

Manvendra Singh has joined hands with the Congress and may damage the Party in the Rajput dominated areas similarly six-time MLA and former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari has formed Bharat Vahini Party. They are potent threat to the BJP in the state when the BJP CM is already battling corruption and arrogance charges.

This is not for the first time that the BJP is facing revolt in the state but in the past too it had faced revolt of senior leaders like in 2003, 2008 and 2013 elections and it got defeated in 2008 due to revolt only. Despite winning 2013 Assembly elections with thumping majority, it lost Lunkaransar, Vallabhnagar and Mandava seats due to revolt from the party leaders.

When Vasundhara Raje was brought in 2003 as chief ministerial candidate, a senior BJP leader Devi Singh Bhati parted ways from the BJP with the demand of reservation for Jats under OBC category. He had influence in the Bikaner region of the state and formed a party called Samajik Nyaya Manch. He had not only contested and had won the elected but his party had fielded candidates in Sikar, Nagore, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Churu and some more district securing 2.2 per cent votes. It was said that had Samajik Nyay Manch not been there, the BJP would have won around 140 seats.

During the fag end of the tenure of the government in 2008, differences between Kirori Lal Meena and chief minister Vasundhara Raje emerged. Leaders like Ghanshyam Tiwari, Lalit Kishor Chaturvedi, Jaswant Singh, Mahavir Prashad Jain, Kailash Meghwal and Kirori Lal Meena had gone against her but only Meena had quit the party. Party had to pay the price for it and in the Meena dominated areas in eastern Rajasthan, the BJP had failed to get seats on the expected lines. Party managed to win 78 seats and it was reported that party could have formed the government again, had there not been rebellion in the party in 2008. But National People's Party (NPP) chief and Lalsot MLA Kirodi Lal Meena rejoin the party along with his wife and three other MLAs of his party by merging NPP with the BJP.

In the year 2013, it was Hanuman Beniwal who revolted against the party who contested 2008 elections as the BJP candidate and had won. Even today he is able to manage huge crowd in his rallies. He is a very influential Jat leader in the state. He was expelled from the party and contested 2013 elections as independent and had won Khinwsar seat of Nagore district. Some other BJP leaders too revolted and had been instrumental in defeat of official BJP candidates. Similar threats too is looming large this time round as well.