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The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) candidate Rajkumar Roat from Chaurasi, Rajasthan, secured a decisive victory in the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Amra Ram of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) won the Sikar constituency, defeating BJP’s Sumedhanand Saraswati by 72,896 votes.
Both BAP and CPI-M are part of the INDIA bloc.
Amra Ram, 72, contested from the Jat-dominated constituency through an alliance with the Opposition Congress. He narrowly defeated BJP’s two-time sitting MP Sumedhanand Saraswati, who campaigned on his record of building institutions, developing infrastructure, and improving water supply through various projects.
Amra Ram, a four-time CPI(M) MLA and a prominent farmer leader known for his advocacy of farmers' rights, has led several agitations. He previously represented the Dhod Assembly constituency three times between 1993 and 2003, and won from Danta Ramgarh in 2008.
Rise of tribal politics in Rajasthan
The BAP, founded to champion the rights and issues of tribal communities, made a notable debut in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections by securing three seats. This achievement highlighted the party’s potential to significantly influence regional politics.
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The party has now entered the national stage by fielding its candidate in alliance with the INDIA bloc.
This victory not only marks BAP’s entry into Parliament but also underscores its growing influence among the tribal electorate.
BAP traces its origins to the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) established by Chhotubhai Vasava in Gujarat in 2017. BTP MLAs Roat and Ramprasad Dindor split from BTP to form BAP in September 2023.
Adding to its series of successes, BAP recently won the by-election for the Bagidora assembly seat with a margin of over 50,000 votes, further consolidating its position in Rajasthan’s political landscape.
The rise of BAP reflects the increasing political mobilisation and aspirations of Rajasthan’s tribal communities. As the party continues to gain momentum, its impact on state and national politics will be closely monitored.
Meanwhile, the NDA has won 11 of the 25 seats in Rajasthan and was in the lead on three more seats. The Congress-led INDIA bloc won six seats and was leading on two seats.
