Rajasthan election: Beyond Jats, other castes crucial for Divya Maderna, Jyoti Mirdha

In the Jat land of western Rajasthan, two women leaders from the community - Divya Maderna and Jyoti Mirdha - both dynasts, are campaigning hard to retain their vote bank but it seems their fortunes depend more on the pattern of how other communities vote.

It is a high-stake election for both leaders to settle old scores. For Maderna, it is a chance to take revenge from BJP's Bhairaram Siyol for her mother's defeat in 2013 assembly polls from Osian. Whereas, for BJP's Mirdha in Nagaur, it is to settle a four-decade old score when her grandfather Nathuram Mirdha was defeated by Congress rival Harendra Mirdha's father Ram Niwas Mirdha in 1984 general elections.

Jyoti Mirdha joined the BJP ahead of the assembly polls while she contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Nagaur on a Congress ticket.


Divya Maderna, MLA from Osian, is reaching out to voters by brewing tea during public events along with her trademark aggressive speeches.

While Mirdha is going for a balanced approach of counting on personal equations, meeting people in small gatherings and striking an emotional chord with the people.

In both cases, their fate may depend on the pattern of how other caste or community votes.

In Osia, Rajputs, having around 70,000 votes may turn out to be the deciding factor as in 2018, when an Independent candidate got more than 37,000, making it easier for Maderna to defeat Siyol.

Similarly, in Nagaur, Muslims voters may be the deciding factor, as former minister in the Congress government in Rajasthan, Habibur Lamba is contesting as an independent.

Several muslim leaders of Congress, including Salman Khurshid, have campaigned for Congress in Nagaur.

In Osian, Maderna seems to be favored more among Jat youth.

Rahul Choudhary, a college student, standing with his friends outside a restaurant, says he will vote for 'Sherni of Osian', a title given to Divya Maderna by her admirers.

Many of her supporters say she is fighting a lone battle while biggies of BJP are campaigning for Siyol. Besides Jats, there are some apprehensions about Maderna and her aggressive style of functioning, which may work in Siyol's favor.

However, for elders like Lekha Ram Chouhdary, a Jat, they may have apprehensions about Maderna's style of work but still says he would prefer the Maderna family.

In Nagaur, many locals feel sympathetic towards Mirdha after her defeat in the 2019 elections. Narsingh Choudhary, a farmer at a petrol pump, says, "Jyoti ka padla bhari so, 2019 mein hargi mauka denge isne."