Rajasthan elections: Brahmin community seeks 70 tickets from Congress, BJP

During the Brahmin Mahasangam, the Brahmin community sought 14% quota in education and job opportunities, stating that voting will depend on which party satisfies their demands

In a gathering known as the Brahmin Mahasangam, held at Ramniwas Bagh in Jaipur, members of the Brahmin community voiced their demand for 35 political tickets each from both the Indian National Congress (Congress) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajasthan state Assembly elections. The gathering also urged the government to enhance the quota for Brahmins, both in educational institutions and job opportunities, to 14 per cent, according to a report by the Times of India. Furthermore, they sought five tickets from each political party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Public figures, including former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, State Cabinet Minister Mahesh Joshi, Jaipur Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Ramcharan Bohra, and film directors Madhur Bhandarkar and Anil Sharma attended the event.

 

People at the event, however, were unhappy with the absence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.MP Ramcharan Bohra became the target of slogans regarding the Union minister's absence. Minister Joshi, who came to Bohra's defence, also faced objections from the crowd. The event witnessed participation from more than 100 "saints and individuals" hailing from eight countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai, Italy, Canada, Nepal, and Singapore.

Pandit Suresh Mishra, the National President of Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha, stated that despite the Brahmin community having a population exceeding 10 million in the state, they continue not "get adequate representation vis-à-vis their population." Mishra emphasised that the community's support in the upcoming state Assembly elections would depend on which political party addresses their concerns.

Among the community's additional demands were the establishment of Lord Parashuram University, the construction of a monumental 111-feet statue of Lord Parashuram, rectification of disparities in economically weaker section (EWS) reservation, enactment of a law safeguarding priests, raising the income limit for EWS reservation from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, and the cessation of government control over temples and monasteries.