For BJP MP Kirori Lal Meena, who is most vocal about Karauli violence in Rajasthan, will Karauli violence become a lifeline for him in eastern Rajasthan? BJP leader Kirori Lal had got tickets to 17 of his supporters in the 2018 assembly elections. But all of them had to face defeat. In East Rajasthan, the BJP has been wiped out. The BJP had won only 4 of the 39 assembly seats. Kirori Lal also failed to get his wife and nephew to win.
Vasundhara faction has left
Kirori Lal, who protested in isolation from the state BJP, did not get the expected support of Vasundhara and Poonia factions in the Karauli violence case. The Vasundhara faction completely shunned. The Poonia faction did not get open support. Whereas in the Karauli violence case, the Gehlot government is constantly being attacked. Satish Poonia does not want that no MLA of Vasundhara faction gave a statement in favor of Kirori in Karauli violence case, who robbed the applause of Karauli violence case.
Kirori had to face defeat in the 2018 elections
Kirori, who dominated the Meena community in eastern Rajasthan’s Karauli, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Dausa and Sawai Madhopur, had to face a crushing defeat in the 2018 assembly elections. Lakhan Singh Meena, a disciple of Kirori from Karauli, defeated BJP candidate Kirori by registering election victory. Lakhan Singh contested the election on BSP ticket and won. In the 2008 assembly elections, Lakhan Singh was a candidate from Kirori’s party NPP from Karauli. After winning the election, Lakhan Singh joined the Congress.
Minister Ramesh Meena challenges Kirori’s supremacy in Karauli
Panchayati Raj Minister Ramesh Meena defeated Kirori Lal’s wife Golma Devi from the Sapotra seat of Karauli and gave a direct challenge to Kirori’s supremacy. Kirodilal’s nephew Rajendra Meena lost the election from Mahua assembly in Dausa district to independent candidate Omprakash Hoodla. Not only this, BJP rejected Kirori Lal’s request and gave ticket to Jaskaur Meena, the arch rival of Kirori from Dausa Lok Sabha seat. Kirori was seeking ticket for his wife Golma Devi. Jaskaur Meena won the Dausa Lok Sabha seat, despite opposition from Kirori. Political experts of Rajasthan say that Kirori Lal did not get the required public support despite being vocal against the Gehlot government in the REET recruitment case. Kirori Lal wants to regain his lost support base in eastern Rajasthan through Karauli violence.
Kirori emerged as a messiah during the Gurjar movement
In Rajasthan, in the year 2006, Gurjars first took to the streets in Hindaun town of Karauli district to demand reservation. Then the Gurjars were demanding to include themselves in the Scheduled Tribes i.e. ST. In opposition to this demand, a movement of Meenas emerged in eastern Rajasthan and was led by Kirori Lal. In the Vasundhara government, then Food Minister Kirori Lal met Vasundhara Raje and demanded not to tamper with the tribal reservation. In 2007, the Gurjar movement turned violent and spread across Rajasthan. At the same time, Kirori Lal’s official residence on SMS Road in the capital Jaipur became the center of protest against the movement. Kirori Meena emerged as the messiah of the society. Even in eastern Rajasthan, folk songs were started in the name of Kirori.
Kirori’s dominance decreased after 2013
Kirori Lal joined PM Sangma’s party NPP in the 2013 assembly elections. Kirori Lal fielded candidates on 150 out of 200 seats in the 2013 assembly elections. But victory came only in 4 seats. This was the result of the declining supremacy of Kirori Lal in his caste. No Meena could win the election except Kirori and his wife.
Kirori returns home in 2018
In the 2018 assembly elections, at the behest of Amit Sham and the Sangh, Kirori returned to the BJP and was sent to the Rajya Sabha with a reward. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP’s sweep from East Rajasthan was cleared. Congress got a bumper victory. After a long time, Kirodi Lal attacked the Congress fiercely by holding a press conference in the BJP office. Generally, the BJP state unit keeps a distance from the sit-in demonstrations of Kirori. During the press conference, the silence of BJP state president Satish Poonia sitting near Kirori was telling something different. Experts believe that Satish Poonia does not want the Karauli violence case to be looted.