It cannot be definitively said who will hold the upper hand in the intense battle between Congress’s Abhishek Choudhary and BJP’s Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore for the largest assembly seat of Jhotwara in the district. Voting in this constituency is based on caste, and victory goes to the one who manages to secure the most votes from various communities. So far, Rajput votes have predominantly favoured the BJP, but this time there is a possibility of division. BJP rebel and Rajput leader Ashu Singh Surpura entering the fray is likely to cause harm to Rajyavardhan. Rajyavardhan is also a Rajput. Congress candidate Abhishek belongs to the Jat community, and he is counting on the support of voters from this community. This directly implies that victory or defeat will be in the hands of SC (Scheduled Caste) and ST (Scheduled Tribe) voters in the region.
The departure of current Congress MLA Lalchand Kataria from the election field has affected the Congress votes. Kataria also faced opposition in the area. Kataria had won the Lok Sabha election first and later served as a minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government. He later contested the 2018 assembly elections from Jhotwara and was successful in winning the election on the strength of Jat votes. This time, he had made it clear to the party high command that he would not contest the 2023 elections. Therefore, the party has introduced a new youth face.
Politics based on caste:
A significant part of the Jhotwara constituency is a rural area, and the people here are dependent on agriculture. Politics based on caste holds sway in the region. Jats, in particular, have a significant influence on this seat, as well as a fair share of Rajput and Brahmin voters. Political leaders contesting elections target castes while weaving their political narratives. Voters also actively participate in debates, taking sides in the arguments. Both Congress and BJP focus on ST and SC votes. These two categories of voters can flip election results. In addition, the Kumawat and Yadav voters in the area number over 50,000. All candidates are making efforts to win them over, but the votes of these castes consistently get divided in factional politics. In the 2018 elections, NOTA received 1770 votes, securing the fourth position. This means that none of the parties or candidates found favour with these 1770 voters in the elections.
Jhotwara seat does not fall in Jhotwara area:
The most interesting fact about this assembly seat is that although its name is Jhotwara, the Jhotwara town is not part of it. This town falls under the Vidhyadhar Nagar assembly constituency. This often confuses people, and as a result, many squares and intersections in this area have been neglected in terms of development.
Local issues of Jhotwara:
The biggest problem in this area is the scarcity of drinking water. The issue of water from Bisalpur is always a bone of contention for every colony. The second significant problem is laying the high-tension line in residential areas. This demand has been going on for a long time. Other issues are common, such as roads, cleanliness, police patrols, etc.
The main contest between youth and MP:
In this constituency, BJP’s MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is a prominent figure. He is originally from Jaisalmer, but after winning the silver medal in double trap shooting at the 2004 Athens Olympics, he quickly became popular in the hearts of the people. He has also served as a minister in the central government. Being disciplined due to his military background reflected in his working style. Congress has fielded Abhishek Choudhary, the state president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Abhishek has previously served as the president of the Law College Student Union. He is young and quite popular among voters of his age. Congress is not benefiting from the inactivity of the current Congress MLA Lalchand Kataria.
Caste demographics of Jhotwara
Jat 72,000
Rajput 67,000
Brahmin 60,000
ST 55,000
SC 35,000
Kumawat 34,000
Yadav 28,000
Vote difference in past assembly elections
Year BJP Congress Vote difference
2008 68,851 66,396 2,455
2013 83,858 64,256 19,602
2018 1,16,438 1,27,185 10,747
Political history of Jhotwara seat
Year Legislator Party
2008 Rajpal Singh Shekhawat BJP
2013 Rajpal Singh Shekhawat BJP
2018 Lalchand Kataria Congress