Outgoing Speaker Om Birla faces challenge from arch rival, Raje loyalist in Kota
A two-time MP from Kota, “absent” Birla is being unfavourably compared to “grounded leader” Prahlad Gunjal. But the appeal of Modi may be too strong to breach.
(L-R) Outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP Kota candidate Om Birla, and Vasundhara Raje loyalist and Congress Kota candidate Prahlad Gunjal. (X/@ombirla, File Photo)
Two-time BJP MP Om Birla is facing a tough contest in his Kota Lok Sabha seat, which votes on April 26. One reason is his “absence” from his constituency during his last term, in which he served as the Lok Sabha Speaker. The second is his challenger, the Congress’s Prahlad Gunjal, a former BJP leader and Vasundhara Raje loyalist.
“Birla was not seen in the constituency for the last five years. Now that elections are here, he is touring, taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name,” says Mahesh Bairwa, a resident of Rangpur village.
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Residents say all of Birla’s visits to Kota since 2019 have been restricted to public meetings in the city, with the MP barely touching rural areas.
Suresh Meena, a resident of Nayagaon village, who calls himself an “ardent” follower of Modi, says he will vote this time for Gunjal. “He is a powerful leader, connected to the ground, and is contesting elections on local issues.”
Gunjal is believed to have left the BJP for the Congress due to growing differences with Birla. The two leaders, who started their political journey at the same time, were caught in a tussle for dominance over the city. As Raje lost his clout in the state unit, so did Gunjal in Kota.
The Congress was happy to receive him as it did not have any suitable candidate against Birla.
A Congress leader, speaking anonymously, said: “The entry of Gunjal has energised the ranks. Kota was seen as a one-sided competition.” However, the leader said, their main challenge is the enduring appeal of Modi.
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A few BJP supporters in Barodiya village, for example, say that while they have no love lost for Birla, they will vote for him to get Modi back as PM.
Birla’s campaign too has mostly talked about the Modi government’s “achievements”, including Ram Mandir and the abrogation of Article 370.
The Congress appears to have bridged some of the gap between the BJP and it here. In 2019, Birla won by more than 2.6 lakh votes. However, in the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress won four Assembly segments falling in the Kota Lok Sabha seat, the same as the BJP.
The Congress is hoping Gunjal will get a majority of the votes of his Gujjar community, plus the Meena tribal and Muslim votes. Along with the three, Rajputs, who have been unhappy with the BJP in the state, and Scheduled Castes are some prominent castes in the area.
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To help Birla with the Meena voters, their tallest leader in the state and minister Kirori Lal Meena toured Kota.
Gunjal told The Indian Express he was thankful to the Congress for accepting him “with open arms”. “There is no place for leadership in the BJP… There were some issues between Om Birla and me. I wanted the senior leadership to resolve them, but they did not pay heed. For my self-respect, I decided to leave the BJP,” Gunjal said, adding that people have been telling him they are “fed up” with the functioning of Birla. “They want change and I am here for that.”
However, it has not been all smooth sailing for Gunjal in the Congress, with one of those openly expressing their displeasure being the party’s sitting Kota MLA, Shanti Dhariwal, a known rival of Gunjal. The two have not been seen in public together since a spat between them on stage at a rally.
What will help Birla is the BJP’s powerful ground network, and the fact that his fate hangs on how people see Modi.
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A BJP worker in Kota said that will prove enough. “Birla will win, though the victory margin may be not more than 1 lakh votes.”
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
