Bikaner Lok Sabha Election Result 2019: BJP wins the battle of Meghwals

The BJP’s candidate for this reserved constituency was Arjun Ram Meghwal, the current Minister of State (MoS) for water resources and the former MoS for Finance. Arjun Meghwal has secured nearly 60% of the votes, handily beating his Congress rival Madan Gopal Meghwal, his cousin, who got 36% of the votes.

Meghwal won the constituency in the 2014 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections and was hoping that anti-incumbency didn’t come in the way of a similar victory this time around. Prior to that, Bollywood actor Dharmendra had won the seat in 2004.

In his role as MoS of Finance, Meghwal was tasked with spearheading the rollout of the Modi administration’s Goods and Services Tax in mid-2017 and helping resolve its various implementation problems.

Meghwal is remembered for making a number of quotable comments about the new tax regime, the most famous of which is likening it to a “daughter-in-law”, meaning that it would require an adjustment period.

More than his comments however, there were three things complicating Meghwal’s re-election bid.

Firstly, a number of local issues, such as a shortage of water for agriculture would have contributed to anti-incumbency sentiments.

Secondly, the departure of veteran Rajput leader Devi Singh Bhati from the BJP would have no doubt hurt Meghwal’s prospects, not only because Bhati enjoys support in the region but because the latter refused to endorse Meghwal, pinning BJP’s loss in Assembly elections on him.

Thirdly, the former IAS officer from Rajasthan is engaged in a face off with his cousin, Madan Meghwal, the Congress candidate in the constituency who was also competing for the Dalit vote.

With no community card to play, he used the popular support for the BJP and Narendra Modi that helped drive Arjun Ram Meghwal to victory.


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Nearly a quarter of the seats in the Lok Sabha are “reserved” and they matter a lot in this election