No statewide Jat neta; Beniwal X factor

Jats, who influence more than half of the assembly seats in Rajasthan, are lacking a caste leader with statewide influence. Hanuman Beniwal seeks to fill in this void and establish himself as a third force in the state's bipolar politics.

According to political commentators, Jats impact the election in around 70 assembly seats, and in 50 of those seats, they play a decisive role. However, Rajasthan has never had a Jat chief minister. Beniwal brings up this issue in close quarters with party members and supporters as well as during his meetings with other Jat leaders.

Maderna and Mirdha are the two dynasties that have dominated Jat politics in Rajasthan. However, these days, their power is limited to two or three areas. Scions of the families, Divya and Jyoti, are facing a fierce competition in their respective constituencies, Osian and Nagaur. According to BJP member Bhagirath Choudhary in Nagaur, Jats have never received their due because they don't vote as a single, statewide bloc due to party divisions.


A similar sentiment was shared by Rahul Choudhary, a supporter of Divya Maderna in Osian, who said Parasram Maderna was sidelined in Congress when it came to selecting the chief minister.

This perception of Jats not getting their due allows Beniwal to use his rusty politics and aggressive attitude to appeal to this martial caste, traditionally involved in farming and the military.

Beniwal's attire - shirt and jeans - his rusty, sometimes wild language against his opponent make him appealing to community youth.Many see him as the X factor of Jat votes, while others feel that in a state like Rajasthan one cannot become leader by banking on only on one caste. Beniwal has tried to tackle this issue by allying with Chandershekhar Azad's ASP. He aims to combine his Jat votes with Azad's dalit votes. But, lack of organisation, consistency and impulsive attitude are seen as the major hurdles for Beniwal to rise to the next level of politics.