Farmers’ Protest & Jat Community: Reading into Rahul Gandhi’s 2-day Rajasthan Trip
With an aim to strengthen the party’s base among farmers and win back the Jat leaders who are agitating against the Centre’s farm laws, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address five farmers rallies in Rajasthan on Friday and Saturday.
Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the state, will also visit Veer Tejaji temple in Ajmer’s Sursura village on the second day and later lead a tractor Rally in the Roopangadh town. He will also address two farmers Rally at Parbatsar and Makrana in Nagour district.
The Jat community in Rajasthan, Haryana and UP is known to worship Veer Tejaji who died in Sursura Village and politically, the Nagour district referred to as the Jat capital of Rajasthan. Shri Ganga Nagar and Hanumangadh are another Jat dominant districts and the Congres leader will address two farmers rally here on Friday.
The Congress is trying hard to deliver the massage of support and win back the Jat dominant area of Rajasthan, Haryana and western UP as the party knows that the farmer agitation from Gajipur (UP) to Shanjahapur (Rajasthan-Haryana Border) is being led by Jat leaders.
Till a few years ago, the Jat community formed the core vote bank of Congress in these three states. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Jat vote bank in Rajasthan got divided between Hanuman Beniwal-led RLP, BJP and Congress. The scenario was repeated in Haryana where the Jat vote bank got divided between the JJP and the Congress. In western UP, the votes got divided in the BJP and RLD.
The BJP, expectantly, has hit out at Rahul Gandhifor visiting Rajasthan with an aim to win back the Jat community. Satish Pooniya, BJP State president, said that Gandhi is visiting the state for vote bank not because he genuinely cares of the farmers or their protest.