Triangular contest at Anta Assembly seat poses challenge to parties amid caste mobilisation

The fiercely contested triangular battle in the Anta constituency of Rajasthan’s Baran district is set to make an impact on the voting pattern at the seat, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition Congress facing a challenge from independent candidate Naresh Meena. The by-election at the tribal-dominated seat is scheduled for November 11.

The BJP’s mobilisation of voters with micromanagement on the caste lines is being countered by the Congress with the appeal to cast votes for development, keeping in mind the contributions of its candidate, former Minister Pramod Jain. On the other hand, Mr. Meena – a Congress rebel – is gaining traction among the Scheduled Tribe voters and the youth.

The Anta seat became vacant after the disqualification of sitting BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena following his conviction in a 20-year-old criminal case. He is at present serving his three-year sentence in prison. Three-time Congress MLA Mr. Jain had lost to him in Anta in the 2023 Assembly election.

The BJP has fielded Morpal Suman, the Pradhan of Baran Panchayat Samiti belonging to the Mali community, as its candidate projecting a local face. As against the BJP’s newcomer, Mr. Jain, considered an influential Congress leader of south-eastern Rajasthan’s Hadoti region, has been the party’s choice in every election since the seat was created in 2008.

As the BJP has targeted Mr. Jain for the criminal cases registered against him as well as the complaints of corruption, the local Congress leaders have sought to defend the party candidate. Baran Block Congress president Lalit Galav told The Hindu that the cases against Mr. Jain were “politically motivated” and were registered during the BJP regimes of 2003-08 and 2013-18.

Mr. Suman has been projected as a fresh and clean candidate, while Mr. Jain’s election affidavits have mentioned seven pending cases. The Congress party workers point out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had presented the national mineral development award to Mr. Jain for the achievements of his department in 2022.

Mr. Jain’s supporters have also highlighted his achievements as a Minister in the previous Congress regime, including the development works worth Rs.5,000 crore carried out in the Anta constituency. The works included construction roads, hospital buildings and power grid sub-stations, completion of drinking water projects and revival of ponds and wells for supply of water for irrigation of crops.

The BJP’s attempt to mobilise voters on the basis of castes has been viewed with suspicion in the region. Abdul Kalam, 34, owner of a furniture shop in the town’s main market, said the BJP’s campaign strategy of organising caste-based meetings to secure victory would vitiate the atmosphere without any tangible outcome.

“The people in this small town with 2.27 lakh voters wish to live in peace and harmony… Voters from Meena, Mali, Gujjar and Dhakad communities have significant numbers here, but they will see through the BJP’s game plan,” Mr. Kalam said. The BJP has deployed senior leaders and Ministers from different castes to bolster the party’s grassroots efforts.

BJP leader and in-charge of the party’s election office Mahesh Sharma said the grassroots mobilisation was wrongly being viewed as promoting the caste identity, which was in fact aimed at influencing “diverse sections of society”. “Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is among the leaders who have joined the bypoll campaign and played a role in maintaining unity within the party ranks”, Mr. Sharma said.

Interestingly, Ms. Raje described the contest in Anta as a clash between ‘dhanbal’ (money power) and ‘janbal’ (people’s power). In the Congress camp, State party chief Govind Singh Dotasra and AICC in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa have visited the constituency, accusing the BJP of stopping welfare schemes and affirming the party’s support to the local farmers.

A total of 15 candidates in the fray are also dealing with the voters’ dissatisfaction on local issues, such as the lack of basic facilities at the town’s Krishi Upaj Mandi and the roadways bus stand. Though the by-election is not significant in terms of impacting the State government’s stability, the stakes are high for both the major parties, as the loss of the seat will be an embarrassment for the BJP.