TNI ELECTION DESK, Jaipur: In a strategic move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deployed a Hindutva strategy in Rajasthan by fielding four saffron-robed candidates, all prominent Hindu priests, in the recent state elections. The gamble paid off as Balmukund Acharya from Hawa Mahal, Mahant Pratap Puri from Pokhran, Otaram Dewasi from Sirohi, and Mahant Balak Nath emerged victorious.
The iconic Arjuna elephant, known for leading the Mysuru Dasara Ambari procession eight times, met a tragic end in a wild tusker attack during an operation to capture wild elephants near Elasuru, Sakleshpur in Hassan district. Arjuna, 63 years old and a prominent figure in the region, had not carried the golden Ambari in the last year due to age but continued to play a role in various ceremonial events.
The newly elected BJP MLA from Hawa Mahal, Balmukundachary Acharya, wasted no time in taking action. He instructed officials to remove all illegal non-vegetarian shops from the streets of the constituency and demanded reports by evening. This move comes in a constituency where 34% of the electorate is Muslim.
Support Independent Journalism? Keep us live.
During the election campaign, Acharya asserted that hundreds of temples in Muslim-dominated areas were demolished during the previous government’s rule. He pledged to rebuild each of these temples if given the mandate. The victory of the four saffron-robed candidates is seen as a testament to the success of the BJP’s strategy to counter the alleged “politics of minority appeasement” by the Congress.
The absence of a single Muslim candidate from the BJP, a departure from its usual practice, was notable in this election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his campaign speeches, accused the Congress of condoning “riots and terrorism,” further emphasizing the party’s shift towards a more Hindutva-oriented stance.
Among the victorious seers, Baba Balaknath, who likened his electoral battle with Congress’s Imran Khan as a match between India and Pakistan, secured a win from the Tijara assembly seat. The saffron-clad candidates embraced a campaign theme of “polarization,” echoing the style of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In Pokhran, Mahant Pratap Puri, the head of the Taratara Math in Barmer, defeated Congress’s sitting MLA Saleh Mohammad. Otram Dewasi, known as Rajasthan’s first ‘Cow Minister,’ secured victory in Sirohi, overcoming Congress’s Sanyam Lodha. The Hindutva brigade’s success marks a significant electoral shift in Rajasthan, where the BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate. The narrowest win among the seers was by Balmukund Acharya in Hawa Mahal, a constituency with a substantial Muslim electorate. As the “Yogi of Rajasthan,” Mahant Balak Nath and his counterparts have left an indelible mark on the political landscape, winning key constituencies and challenging the traditional electoral dynamics in the state.
Comments are closed.