Rajasthan Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi to Visit key Gujjar Areas in Congress-Ruled State

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Malaseri in Rajasthan's Bhilwara today. During his visit, PM Modi will address the ceremony commemorating the 1111th `Avataran Mahotsav`of Bhagwan Shri Devnarayan ji. The timing of this visit organised by the Culture Ministry is crucial as it comes 10 months before the assembly election in Rajasthan.

The visit to Malaseri, Bhagwan Dev Narayan's birthplace, seems crucial and has a hidden political agenda. It is to be noted that this place is respected in the Gujjar Community, which is also an important ground of support for the two major political parties in the country and the state, i.e., BJP and Congress.

Furthermore, considering past experiences, the visit seems to have a strategic importance and gives a chance to BJP to improve its reach within the community. The party also seeks to change the results of the past elections, as Nine members of the Gujjar community received tickets from the BJP for the last election. In an effort to elect Sachin Pilot as the first Gujjar chief minister of Rajasthan, they all lost as the Gujjar support swung to the Congress.

The Gujjars hold an important place in the population of Rajasthan, with about 9 to 12 percent of the state's population. Moreover, they are crucial in 40 to 50 seats in Eastern Rajasthan. Adding to it, they have been politically active in the past with violent protests demanding reservations for the community. Recently, community leaders even threatened to disrupt Rahul Gandhi's entry into the state during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The politically active community in Rajasthan looks forward to getting their MLAs a seat in the upcoming assembly elections in 2023. With this visit, the scale of the election results can tip in the favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party, considering the influence of the community on around 40 seats out of the total 200 seats in the Congress-ruled state.