Though Assembly elections are two years away, a group of Jat and Meena leaders has joined hands to form a third alternative in Rajasthan.
Independent MP from Dausa Kirodi Lal Meena has been instrumental in exploring the scope of a third front. Mr Meena made a surprise visit to sacked
minister Mahipal Maderna’s house in Jodhpur and also called on Maderna, who is in jail in connection with the Bhanwari case. The ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP both dismissed it, saying it would not make any impact in electoral politics.
Rebel BJP MLA Hanuman Beniwal also jumped on the bandwagon of a proposed third front and said people were fed up with both the mainstream parties. The BJP had suspended Mr Beniwal from the party when he had lashed out publicly at former chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur. If a rally in the Jat heart land of Nagaur was any indication, then the state is going to witness a third force, said a dissident BJP leader. The rally was organised four days back in Nagaur as a mark of strength in favour of Mr Beniwal. Mr Meena addressed the rally and said people had lost faith in the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP as both had deceived people. “People are in favour of a third front,” he said. He said his Meena community will support a credible Jat leader like Mr Beniwal if he comes forward for the top slot as chief minister in the state. “Why were Jats not given a chance while every community got the opportunity to become the CM,” he asked people at the rally. He was accompanied by Janata Dal (United) leader Chandraraj Singhvi.
Mr Meena and Mr Beniwal have been seen active together for the past four months and shared the dais in Bharatpur, Jaipur and Nagaur. Mr Meena said that the previous BJP government got a bad name as corruption was rampant and the late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat himself sought inquiry in cases of serious corruption. “This Congress government is going the same way,” he added.
Mr Beniwal echoed the same sentiments but said the farmers were not against the BJP, but against a coterie which captured the party.