When Girdhari Mahiya of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) defeated Congress and BJP candidates in Dungargarh constituency in Bikaner district in the 2018 assembly polls, that came as a surprise for many. His victory was attributed to his struggles for, and commitments to, farmers rights.
Agriculture being the predominant occupation of the people in the vast rural belt of Bikaner district, farmers’ issues play a decisive role in all elections. In the upcoming assembly polls on November 25, farmers issues are going to occupy centre stage.
Out of the seven assembly constituencies in Bikaner-Khajuwala, Bikaner West, Bikaner East, Kolayat, Lunkaransar, Dungargarh and Nokha- three were bagged by Congress in the last assembly elections. All the three-BD Kalla (Bikaner West), Bhanwar Singh Bhati (Kolayat), and Govind Meghwal (Khajuwala)-were made ministers. The Dungargarh seat went to CPI-M while the rest went to BJP.
Dungargarh, considered a hot seat for farmers, has seen farmer leaders like Daulatram Saharan and Kumbharam Arya contesting polls in the past. Congress’s Mangalaram Godara and BJP’s Kisnaram Nai, both born in farmer families, have each been three-term MLAs from the area. Rameshwar Dudi of Congress won in Nokha in 2013 and became the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly. He lost in 2018 but was made chairman of the state’s agro-industries board. Dudi is presently under treatment at a Gurugram hospital following a brain haemorrhage he suffered in August. The seat may witness a contest between ex-MLA Kanhaiya Lal Jhanwar of Congress and sitting MLA Bihari Lal Bishnoi of BJP this time.
In Bikaner West, veteran leader BD Kalla holds sway, but CM Ashok Gehlot’s OSD, Lokesh Sharma, is also in the fray for a Congress ticket from here. Kalla’s rival and relative, Gopal Joshi of BJP, won the seat in 2008 and 2013 but lost to Kalla in 2018. After Joshi died during the Covid pandemic, BJP is yet to find a replacement, and Congress is yet to announce a candidate from here. Sources said BJP is undecided over whether to field Joshi’s son, Gokul Joshi, or Jethanand Vyas.
BJP’s Siddhi Kumari has been winning the Bikaner East seat since 2008 and remains popular. Being from Bikaner’s erstwhile royal family, she draws much of her support because of her grandfather Karni Singh, who was a five-term independent MP from Bikaner.
With ex-minister Devi Singh Bhati back in BJP, the saffron party is poised to field him to take on power minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati on Kolayat seat. Sources said Devi Singh Bhati may find it hard to get the votes of the Meghwals, whose support plays a crucial role in poll outcomes, due to his rivalry with Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. In Khajuwala, Govind Ram Meghwal of Congress, a cabinet minister, could be locked in the poll battle with BJP’s Vishwanath Meghwal, said sources. The Lunkaransar seat might again witness a battle between sitting BJP MLA Sumit Godara and ex-MLA Virendra Beniwal of Congress, they added.
Agriculture being the predominant occupation of the people in the vast rural belt of Bikaner district, farmers’ issues play a decisive role in all elections. In the upcoming assembly polls on November 25, farmers issues are going to occupy centre stage.
Out of the seven assembly constituencies in Bikaner-Khajuwala, Bikaner West, Bikaner East, Kolayat, Lunkaransar, Dungargarh and Nokha- three were bagged by Congress in the last assembly elections. All the three-BD Kalla (Bikaner West), Bhanwar Singh Bhati (Kolayat), and Govind Meghwal (Khajuwala)-were made ministers. The Dungargarh seat went to CPI-M while the rest went to BJP.
Dungargarh, considered a hot seat for farmers, has seen farmer leaders like Daulatram Saharan and Kumbharam Arya contesting polls in the past. Congress’s Mangalaram Godara and BJP’s Kisnaram Nai, both born in farmer families, have each been three-term MLAs from the area. Rameshwar Dudi of Congress won in Nokha in 2013 and became the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly. He lost in 2018 but was made chairman of the state’s agro-industries board. Dudi is presently under treatment at a Gurugram hospital following a brain haemorrhage he suffered in August. The seat may witness a contest between ex-MLA Kanhaiya Lal Jhanwar of Congress and sitting MLA Bihari Lal Bishnoi of BJP this time.
In Bikaner West, veteran leader BD Kalla holds sway, but CM Ashok Gehlot’s OSD, Lokesh Sharma, is also in the fray for a Congress ticket from here. Kalla’s rival and relative, Gopal Joshi of BJP, won the seat in 2008 and 2013 but lost to Kalla in 2018. After Joshi died during the Covid pandemic, BJP is yet to find a replacement, and Congress is yet to announce a candidate from here. Sources said BJP is undecided over whether to field Joshi’s son, Gokul Joshi, or Jethanand Vyas.
BJP’s Siddhi Kumari has been winning the Bikaner East seat since 2008 and remains popular. Being from Bikaner’s erstwhile royal family, she draws much of her support because of her grandfather Karni Singh, who was a five-term independent MP from Bikaner.
With ex-minister Devi Singh Bhati back in BJP, the saffron party is poised to field him to take on power minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati on Kolayat seat. Sources said Devi Singh Bhati may find it hard to get the votes of the Meghwals, whose support plays a crucial role in poll outcomes, due to his rivalry with Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. In Khajuwala, Govind Ram Meghwal of Congress, a cabinet minister, could be locked in the poll battle with BJP’s Vishwanath Meghwal, said sources. The Lunkaransar seat might again witness a battle between sitting BJP MLA Sumit Godara and ex-MLA Virendra Beniwal of Congress, they added.
