Gehlot, Raje have been in alliance for 22 years… Now there seems to be one between PM Modi and CM: RLP’s Hanuman Beniwal

In an interview to The Indian Express, RLP supremo and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal talks about his party’s journey, the plan for the 2023 Assembly polls, the alleged understanding between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former CM Vasundhara Raje, and the consolidation of Jat votes. Excerpts:

The RLP completed four years. How do you see the journey so far?

We conducted several rallies before we started in 2018. The BJP government in power at the time was under pressure and implemented some of our demands, whether it was 50,000 jobs, making state highways toll tax free or providing subsidised electricity bills to farmers.

We wanted to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP and contested elections in 57 seats in 2018, winning three. We received around nine lakh votes. Our vote ratio was even better than the BSP, which contested more seats than us. We have consolidated our position as the third force in the state.

You say the BJP failed in its duties as the Opposition. Why?

The BJP failed in its role as the Opposition and didn’t say a word in the Assembly when (Congress) minister Mahesh Joshi’s son was accused of rape or the ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) raided the transport department headed by minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas. Be it the Covid-19 pandemic or the lumpy disease outbreak, only the RLP was visible on the streets to lead protests on the ground. One of the BJP’s own MLAs also cross-voted for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections.

What is your assessment of the Gehlot government?

The entire state is suffering due to the tussle between CM Gehlot and (Congress leader) Sachin Pilot. MLAs are arm-twisting the CM to accede to all of their unfair demands so as to be on his side. Gehlot doesn’t want to relinquish the CM chair; Pilot wants to become the CM. Pilot should float a party of his own, that is my advice.

You often talk about an alliance between Gehlot and Raje. Both leaders are from parties that are sworn enemies.

An alliance has existed between Gehlot and Raje for 22 years. I was with Raje (in the BJP) when she became the CM for the first time in 2003. At first, she called for the end of corruption in the Gehlot government but indulged in corruption herself. Gehlot set up a commission to probe graft allegations against Raje but nothing came out of it (the commission was dismissed after court orders).

Bureaucrats have served in plum positions with both of them. When Gehlot returned to power in 2018, he continued with the chief secretary appointed by the Raje government. When the Gehlot government was at risk of being toppled in 2020, Vasundhara ji helped Gehlot. During the vote of confidence at the time, some BJP MLAs, who were Raje loyalists, went missing.

Now, there also seems to be an alliance between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gehlot as well. We saw recently how both were heaping praises on each other.

The Congress accuses you of being part of the BJP’s B team. Even after quitting the NDA, you voted for Subhash Chandra, who was backed by the BJP.

This is laughable. I left the NDA over differences on the farm laws. Our cadre protested at the Shahjahanpur border and was instrumental in the rolling back of the laws. The Congress constantly targets me because we are the ones raising our pitch when it is accused of wrongdoing, The BJP keeps mum. Why doesn’t Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria speak against Khachariyawas?

Earlier, the farmers of Rajasthan used to raise slogans for leaders from Uttar Pradesh or Haryana. Now they have their own party in the RLP.

In the Rajya Sabha elections, I supported Chandra because he is from Rajasthan and I know him. The other option was to abstain from voting. The BJP actually duped Chandra by first assuring him that he will win if he contested from Rajasthan and then abandoned him.

The BJP says you won because of its support.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, of the total votes I received, around 2.5 lakh were from BJP voters. But the BJP received 30 lakh votes in different constituencies across Rajasthan because of my name. Jat voters have a significant influence in 20 to 21 Lok Sabha seats. When I went to campaign for BJP candidates, all the party’s top leaders used to stand at the helipad to receive me. If I didn’t have any influence, why would the BJP leaders welcome me like this?

BJP leaders have asked me to merge the RLP with them, but I refused straightaway. When the BJP requires support, it comes to my door. During Vasundhara Raje’s tenure, several BJP leaders, such as Kirodi Lal Meena, left the party. They returned later and went on to become BJP MPs. I never rejoined the party.

Would you consider an alliance with the BJP or any other party before next year’s election?

We will not ally with the Congress or the BJP in 2023. We will consider allying with smaller parties, depending on the situation on the ground. The RLP will contest a minimum of 150 seats.

Parties such as the BSP, which have played the role of a third force, couldn’t get more than five to six seats in elections. Why do you think the RLP will succeed in becoming a powerful third force?

We can gauge the strength of the RLP by analysing by-election results in the past four years. The RLP won the Khinsavar byelection (in 2019) after I was elected to the Lok Sabha. In Vallabhnagar (2021), we came second. The BJP was fourth. In Dhariyawad, a candidate supported by the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) and the RLP won. The BJP was third.

We performed well in the local body elections in 2021 too, winning a few Pradhan seats. One of our members became a municipal council chairman. Despite having limited financial resources, we have continued to expand. We were at the forefront of the Agnipath protests against the central government as it directly impacts the youth. The people of Rajasthan now know that the RLP raises issues impacting them.

Where does the RLP have an edge over other parties?

The public has seen how MLAs from other parties such as the BSP have switched to Congress. The BTP also stands divided. Both the Congress and the BJP tried to poach the RLP MLAs, but ours is the only party that remains intact four years after the 2018 elections. We have an advantage because we have continued to raise public issues. The president of the Congress and the BJP are Jats, who form our party’s main electorate.

The Congress and the BJP have also been wooing Jats.

Both the parties made Jats their state presidents to counter me. But it won’t have any impact. Eighty-ninety per cent of the votes from the Jat community will be for the RLP. Most protesters for government jobs are from the Jat, Gujjar, Meena, Yadav, and Meghwal communities, and they will support us in the next elections. Muslims also will support us. They know that the RLP is fighting their battle. Some Jat ministers or state party presidents don’t make any difference because the CM has the ultimate power. They dismiss me as a Jat leader, but two of the three RLP MLAs are from the SC community.