Gujjar leader Bainsla returns to BJP fold

JAIPUR: A decade after he had contested and lost the Lok Sabha elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur on a BJP ticket, convenor of the Gujjar Arakashan Sangharsh Samiti, Kirori Singh Bainsla, on Wednesday returned to the saffron party again. However, it remains to be seen how much of Gujjar support Bainsla can bring to BJP since he no more holds the same influence he once had on the community in Rajasthan.


Bainsla, who has been making futile attempts to get a ticket for one of his family members, joined BJP along with his son Vijay Bainsla, after meeting party president Amit Shah. “I have not joined the party on any condition. Also, I never said that I want to contest polls,” said Bainsla.

Bainsla’s comeback not likely to benefit BJP much

“I have been close to chief ministers of both parties — BJP and Congress —and had seen their ideologies. I chose BJP,” he added.

Speculations are rife that Bainsla or his son might be fielded from a LS seat of some other state, since BJP has announced all its candidates for Rajasthan.

Bainsla’s comeback is not expected to benefit BJP much, unlike Rashtriya Lok Tantrik Party (RLTP) leader Hanuman Beniwal. Last week, BJP finalised an alliance with RLTP and left the Nagaur seat for Beniwal. Congress’s Jyoti Mirdha is the rival candidate.

In the recent assembly polls, Beniwal’s party had won three seats and had a direct influence on about 20 of the 200 constituencies.

While the alliance with the young Jat leader is expected to have a spillover effect in other constituencies dominated by the community and bring political dividend for BJP, the Gujjar leader’s decision to join the party may not have the same effect.

Beniwal is expected to divide the Jat voters, traditionally believed to be Congress voters, in BJP’s benefit. Bainsla, on the other hand, might not be able to woo a substantial number of Gujjar voters in BJP’s favour as the community continues to back deputy chief minister and Congress state president Sachin Pilot.

Himmat Singh Gurjar, who had a fall out with Bainsla, has critised the move. “Bainsla joined a party which had killed 73 members of the community during the Gujjar agitation. The same party hoisted cases of criminal conspiracy and sedition on the community leaders.” He added “If he wanted to play politics he could have joined any party. Why use the community to fulfil his personal political ambitions.”