Will ‘Jat factor’ influence elections in Capital?
The support of Jats, a sizable vote bank in the Capital, to any political party in the ensuing Assembly elections has the power to turn the tide in the latter’s favour even though it might have lost some clout in the past few years.
The reality is out of Delhi’s 364 villages, 225 are Jat-majority. This sizable voter base is not only influential but crucial to both the AAP and BJP in the upcoming electoral battle. Political pundits say as many as 28 seats having Jat voters play a decisive role in the Assembly elections.
Key figures like Kailash Gehlot, a former AAP leader and a notable Jat, now contesting under the BJP banner, may lead to divided loyalties as his switch has added complexity to the electoral landscape.
Moreover, with AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal extending his support to the community’s demand of its inclusion in the central Other Backward Class (OBC) category list has put the focus back on the community.
So where will the Jat votes go? To understand the dynamics of the Jat community, this correspondent spoke to several local Jat leaders across the city which revealed that most of the members had a pile of grievances.
Jat Mahasabha chief Rajender Panwar said the votes of Jat are a coveted asset for both the BJP and Congress. “The AAP had managed to increase its share of Jat votes in the last Assembly elections compared to the figures of 2015. This shift was significant as the Jat community’s support had traditionally leaned towards Congress,” Panwar said.
Surender Solanki, chief of the Palam Khap, who led a footmarch for three months before elections to raise voice against the long-pending issues of the rural belt, says he has been advocating the development of rural villages through various protests over the past two and a half years, but without progress.
“Recently, we organised a mahapanchayat at Jantar Mantar to express our frustration over the government’s perceived neglect of rural issues such as inadequate infrastructure, poor facilities and lack of representation. We even issued a 15-day ultimatum for the government to address these concerns, yet nothing has changed,” Solanki said
According to Solanki, when the three-month-long “Gaon Dehat Bachao Yatra” ended last month, the villagers and leaders mutually decided to extend their support to only those parties who will assure to resolve their long-pending issues which include a host of civic woes, land reforms and matters related to basic amenities.
In down south pockets of the city, close to 12 villages, including Lado Sarai, Katwaria Sarai, Ber Sarai, Masoodpur, Rajokri, Mehrauli, Kishangarh, Kusumpur, Motilal Nehru Camp, Saket, Vasant Kunj and Sewa Basti, have decided to support an independent candidate as they were disappointed with the current MLA.