Rajasthan By-Polls: No Alliance, Says BAP as One-Year-Old Party Gears Up to Contest Alone

Jaipur- Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) has taken a significant step ahead of the upcoming assembly by-elections in Rajasthan, announcing that it will contest independently without forming an alliance with any party. The party plans to field candidates on four key seats: Chaurasi, Salumber, Dausa, and Deoli-Uniara.

Notably, after the Lok Sabha elections, five assembly seats in Rajasthan were left vacant. The Deoli-Uniara, Dausa, Jhunjhunu, Chaurasi, and Khinwsar assembly seats were vacated as the sitting MLAs were elected as Members of Parliament. Additionally, the Salumber assembly seat also became vacant following the death of MLA Amritlal Meena due to a heart attack on August 7. As a result, by-elections will now be held on 6 seats presumably in October- November.

BAP’s decision to go solo in these constituencies is expected to shake up the political equations of both the Congress and BJP. While earlier speculations hinted at a potential alliance with Congress, the talks didn’t materialize, leading to a likely shift in electoral dynamics for the by-polls.

Dr. Jitendra Meena, the national spokesperson for BAP, confirmed that no discussions have taken place with any party regarding alliances. He emphasized, "We will contest these four seats independently, and we are not pursuing any coalition."

BAP MP Rajkumar Roat echoed this sentiment recently, dismissing any possibility of an alliance. "There has been no conversation about joining hands with any party. There is a 99% chance we will fight this election on our own. We are addressing key grassroots issues, and we are confident that the public will continue to support us as they have in the past," Roat stated.

During the last Lok Sabha elections, Congress had extended support to BAP, but the partnership faced some challenges. In the Banswara Lok Sabha and Bagidora Assembly by-elections, Congress candidates remained in the race despite instructions from their leadership to withdraw.

The candidates disappeared until the deadline for withdrawal, ultimately keeping their names on the ballot. This led to a cooling of political relations between BAP and Congress, which explains why BAP is now less inclined toward any form of alliance with Congress for the upcoming by-elections

About BAP

The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP), which gained ground in South Rajasthan during the 2018 elections, experienced internal conflicts over supporting the ruling Congress during a 2020 political crisis. This led to the split of BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat (Chorasi) and Ramprasad Dindor, who left to form BAP. Previously aligned tribal organizations, which had supported BTP, is now supporting BAP. The party was constituted on 10 September 2023.

BAP won three seats in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly Elections and one seat in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections. Rajkumar Roat won from Chorasi, Umesh Meena from Aspur and Thawar Chand Damor from Dhariyawad while Kamlesh Dodhiyar won the Sailana seat in MP.

Rajkumar Roat the BAP legislator from Chorasi contested for the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha seat. Roat won the reserved seat with a margin of 2,47,054 votes.

He defeated veteran tribal leader, former Minister and Congress turncoat Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Jai Krishn Patel from the BAP won the by-polls held for the Bagidora seat in June 2024. Bagidora had long been a stronghold of former Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya who vacated his seat to contest Lok Sabha elections from Banswara on a BJP ticket and finally lost the seat to Roat.