Seat is a political roller coaster due to BJP-Cong tug-of-war

Jaipur: Taking a retrospective glance at the electoral history of the Karauli-Dholpur Lok Sabha constituency reveals a tale of political oscillation between the Congress and the BJP. Formerly known as Bayana, this constituency encompassed voters from Bharatpur, Dausa, and Dholpur districts. In 1962, Tikkaram Paliwal of the Swatantra Party was elected as the MP.

The subsequent elections in 1967 and 1971 saw victories for Congress’s Jagannath Pahadia. In 1977, Shyam Sundar Lal of the Janata Party marked his presence in Bayana. The seat alternated between Congress and BJP in the 1980s and 1990s, with Gangaram Koli winning in 1991 for the BJP. Subsequently, Bahadur Singh Koli secured victories for the BJP in 1996 and 1998, followed by Ramswaroop Koli’s win in 2004.

In 2009, during the delimitation process, a new Lok Sabha seat, Dholpur-Karauli, was established, with Khiladi Lal Bairwa of the Congress emerging as the MP. However, the 2014 elections witnessed a shift in the political landscape as the Congress replaced its candidate. Riding on the Modi wave, the BJP clinched victory, and Manoj Rajoria became the MP. Since then, he has been re-elected twice consecutively. Post-delimitation, this Lok Sabha seat has been considered crucial for Scheduled Caste representation in the state.

Dr. Manoj Rajoria defeated Congress’s Lakkhiram Lal by securing a total of 4,01,921 votes in the 2014 elections, while his opponent settled for 3,74,828 votes. Similarly, in the 2019 elections, Dr. Manoj Rajoria secured victory with 5,23,801 votes. Meanwhile, the Congress party faced defeat once again with their candidate Sanjay Kumar Jatav receiving 4,27,847 votes. The electoral battleground in the KarauliDholpur constituency continues to witness fierce competition, reflecting the shifting dynamics of Rajasthan’s political landscape.