Jun 04, 2024 05:18 PM IST
Rajkumar Roat, the BAP’s MLA from Chaurasi, clinched a decisive victory in the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha constituency
Jaipur: The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) has emerged as a significant force in the tribal regions of Rajasthan, marking a historic shift in the state’s political landscape.
Founded to champion the rights and issues of the tribal communities, BAP made a notable debut in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections, securing three seats. This achievement signalled the party’s potential to influence regional politics significantly.
Witness the final chapter of the Lok Sabha Elections unfold on HT with live vote count and results. Explore now! Explore now!
The party has now entered the national stage, fielding its candidate Rajkumar Roat in alliance with the INDIA bloc.
Roat, the party’s MLA from Chaurasi, clinched a decisive victory in the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha constituency. This win not only marks the BAP’s entry into Parliament but also underscores its growing influence among the tribal electorate.
Also Read: BJP leads in 13 of 25 seats; Kailash Choudhary trailing by over 1.58 lakh votes
The BAP traces its roots back to the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) floated by Chhotubhai Vasava in Gujarat in 2017. BTP MLAs Roat and Ramprasad Dindor broke ties with BTP and floated BAP in September 2023.
Adding to its string of successes, the BAP won the recent by-election for the Bagidora assembly seat. The party’s candidate emerged victorious with an impressive margin of over 50,000 votes, further consolidating BAP’s position in Rajasthan’s political arena.
The rise of BAP reflects the increasing political mobilisation and aspirations of the tribal communities in Rajasthan. As the party continues to gain momentum, its impact on state and national politics will be closely watched.
Political expert Manish Godha said it was a significant win as Roat defeated a stalwart like Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya.
The BAP came into existence after breaking from the BTP, but they still managed to make their space, said Godha. Certainly, in future, they will be challenging the BJP and Congress.
In the recently held by-election, BAP candidate Jaikrishn Patel won the Bagidora assembly seat of Rajasthan by 51,308 votes. He got 121,423 votes against BJP candidate Subhash Tambolia, who received 70,115 votes. Congress had supported BAP on this seat.
Also Read: Congress leading on 8 of 25 seats in Rajasthan
The Bagidora seat got vacant due to the resignation of Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Malviya from his post. Malviya left Congress and joined the BJP and contested Lok Sabha elections from the Banswara seat, where he is trailing.
With this victory, the number of BAP MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly has increased to four. In the 200-seat assembly, there are 115 MLAs of the BJP, 79 of Congress, two MLAs of Bahujan Samaj Party and eight independent MLAs.
