The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has faced a significant blow in Rajasthan, losing 11 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, a setback that has exacerbated internal discord within the party. The recent electoral performance has brought to light numerous grievances among party leaders, who are openly questioning the decisions made by the party’s top brass and expressing dissatisfaction over the alleged marginalization of key figures.
Discontent has been brewing within the state unit, with various functionaries attributing the party’s poor showing to flawed ticket distribution and inadequate leadership oversight. In the latest general elections, the BJP secured 14 seats, a notable decline from the 24 seats it won in 2019. In contrast, the Congress, which failed to win any seats in the previous election, captured eight this time. Additionally, the CPI (M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, and Bharat Adivasi Party each won one seat. The BJP experienced its most severe losses in the northern and eastern regions of Rajasthan.
Factionalism and dissent had already been simmering in the state BJP ahead of the elections. However, the party’s dramatic decline in performance has intensified these issues, prompting several leaders to question the effectiveness of the state unit’s operations. Former Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand, who lost his seat to CPI(M)’s Amraram, criticized the party’s cadre for failing to effectively communicate welfare schemes to the public. He also questioned the decision to exclude former MP Rahul Kaswan from Churu, a move he believes cost the BJP support among the Jat community. Kaswan subsequently joined the Congress and won the seat.
“It was a wrong decision to not field Kaswan,” Sumedhanand said. “Political rivalry between senior leader and former MLA Rajendra Rathore and Kaswan led to the latter’s ticket being cut, which sent a wrong message and angered the Jats,” he added. “There were other leaders too who were accused of sabotage during the state polls but they were not refused tickets for the Lok Sabha elections,” Rathore had previously lost the assembly elections from Churu and had accused Kaswan of sabotage.
Sumedhanand also argued that the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for military recruitment negatively impacted voters. Rajasthan, a state with a significant number of military personnel, did not respond well to the scheme. “Had the scheme been revised before the elections, it would have had a positive impact. The Congress and the Communist party were able to create a negative sentiment about the recruitment scheme among the youngsters of the state,” he noted.
The northern Shekhawati region, encompassing Jhunjhunu, Churu, Sikar, and Nagaur, has a substantial Jat population engaged in farming and a tradition of military service. The dissatisfaction in this region has been particularly pronounced.
Additionally, senior leader and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s absence from the Lok Sabha campaign raised concerns. Sumedhanand pointed out, “She is our senior leader but she did not campaign for the general elections. Had she done that, it would have helped the party.”
In a related critique, Bikaner’s senior leader Devi Singh Bhati accused Rathore of influencing ticket distribution detrimentally. “Rathore was responsible for the BJP’s loss on several seats. Cutting Kaswan’s ticket led to the Jats uniting against the BJP, which damaged the party,” he said. “bureaucracy was running the government and not listening to the elected representatives,” Bhati further criticized the influence of bureaucracy over elected representatives, echoing Sumedhanand’s concerns.
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BJP’s Jhunjhunu candidate Shubhkaran Chaudhary acknowledged the negative impact of the Agnipath scheme, noting, “So many people from Shekhawati wanted to prepare for the armed forces. But once the scheme was launched, they lost interest. This surely impacted the polls,” Chaudhary lost to Congress’s Brijendra Singh Ola.
An unnamed senior leader added that the lack of effective campaign oversight further hindered the party’s efforts. “The election incharges were appointed late. Most of the core committee members were busy fighting their own election. So there was no one to monitor and coordinate the campaign. Moreover, senior leaders like Raje were sidelined,” he remarked.
Amidst the growing dissent, BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bharadwaj assured that the party is taking necessary actions. “The BJP reviews its performance after each loss and win. The BJP lost seats in Rajasthan but still got 50% of the vote, which shows we got votes from all communities and castes. We have identified reasons for the loss and the party and government are working at their level to fix things. Action will be taken where necessary,” Bharadwaj stated.