The Jat community in Rajasthan has a longstanding agricultural tradition and has been a key player in the state’s political sphere for several decades.[3][4] The community became notably active in politics during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. A notable milestone in their political history was the establishment of the Bharatpur kingdom, which was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in the 18th century.[5][6][7] This event marked the Jats’ rise to prominence and power within the region.
As a folk deity, Veer Tejaji is highly esteemed in Rajasthan and renowned for his bravery and status. Celebrated for his efforts toward social reform, he is frequently linked to the political and cultural narratives of the Jat group.[8][9] Tejaji's efforts to promote moral principles and solidarity among people, as well as his opposition to caste prejudice, will always be remembered. There are many ways to remember his life and deeds, such as yearly fairs honoring his memory and temples built in his honor.[10][11]
Since India did not conduct a caste-based census after 1931, it is currently unknown how many Jat people live in Rajasthan. There are about 5.6 crore people living in Rajasthan overall, with the Jat community being the largest and most influential community in politics. Approximately 70 lakh people, or 14% of Rajasthan's total population, are Jats.[12][13]
In the modern era, the Jats of Rajasthan have continued to be a significant force in the state’s politics. Their influence stems from both their historical legacy and their substantial demographic presence. According to recent reports, Jats comprise around 11% to 15% of the total electorate in Rajasthan.[14][15]
In the 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Elections, the Indian National Congress nominated 36 Jat candidates; 16 of them were elected. On the other hand, 13 of the 31 Jat candidates who received tickets from the BJP won.[16][17] Elections were won by one member of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and two independents. Therefore, 32 members of the 16th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly are members of the Jat community.[18]
In the state of Rajasthan, the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Churu in the Shekhawati region are recognized for their dense Jat population.[19] Similarly, Nagaur district has a prominent Jat community.[20] The Bikaner district is also known for its Jat inhabitants, including the eco-centric Bishnoi sect.[21] Furthermore, the capital district of Jaipur, as well as Barmer, Tonk, and Ajmer, are home to numbers of Jats.[22]
In Rajasthan, the Jat community holds sway over 50 to 60 seats within the 200-seat state Assembly, accounting for approximately 15% of the total populace.[23] This group's influence is particularly pronounced in the political sphere of the Marwar and Shekhawati areas, impacting 85 constituencies.[24] Of the 25 representatives from Rajasthan in the 17th Lok Sabha, eight are Jats. [25]
Following the independence of India, the Jat community emerged as a significant political force, having been influential within the Congress Party due to their pivotal role in the Kisan Sabha. With the advent of popular elections and the evolution of the party system, the Kisan Sabha's prominence as a socio-political movement waned, and its members were largely assimilated into the Congress framework. This period marked a rapid expansion of the Jat's participation in the Congress Party, building on their already substantial involvement, particularly in districts such as Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Nagaur, Barmer, Ganganagar, and Churu.[26][18]
In the inaugural state election of 1952, Jat legislators constituted the third-largest group in the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha, accounting for 15.8% of the assembly, trailing behind the Rajputs at 30.5% and the Brahmans at 16.8%. Over time, their political influence continued to grow. By the 1962 elections, they became the second-largest group of MLAs, representing 15.9% of the assembly, just behind the Rajputs at 19.3%. From the 1972 elections onward, they maintained their position as the foremost group, although their proportion of MLAs remained relatively unchanged until 1977, despite the overall decline of upper-caste representation, notably the Rajputs, whose presence diminished by 18%.[27]
In the late 1980s, as the significance of reservations for backward classes grew, Jat leaders recognized the advantages of engaging in quota politics. They lobbied the state government to include the Jaats in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Rajasthan. The Congress party endorsed their request, but following the assembly elections, the government under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in 1998 opted to establish a commission to review the Jats claims. This move led to accusations from Jaat leaders that the Congress was merely stalling for time.[28][29]
During the 1999 Lok Sabha election campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) courted the Jaat vote by promising to categorize them as OBC if elected. This pledge resulted in approximately 65% of the Jat community voting for the BJP, contributing to the party's victory in 16 of the 25 seats.
The inclusion of Jats in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category has been a subject of political decision-making. Historically, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government notified the inclusion of Jats in the OBC list on October 27, 1999. This decision was based on the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).[30]
Later, the UPA-II government also made a controversial decision to include Jats in the OBC category ahead of the general elections, which came under judicial scrutiny. However, the Supreme Court scrapped the decision to include Jats in the OBC category on 17 March 2015, stating that caste, though a prominent factor, cannot be the sole factor to decide backwardness.[31][32]
As of now the Jat community is included in the Central List of OBCs for the states of Gujarat (Jat Muslim only), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (except for Bharatpur and Dhaulpur districts), Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Bihar.[33][34]
This includes some popular political families from Jat community in Rajasthan such as Beniwal and Mirdha family from Nagaur, Maderna family from Jodhpur, Ola family from Jhunjhunu, Dotasara family from Sikar, etc.
The Mirdha family’s political journey began with Nathuram Mirdha, who was part of the first Rajasthan assembly in 1952 and served as the first finance minister of Rajasthan.[44]
Nathuram Mirdha: A prominent farmer, social reformer, and warrior for independence, Nathuram Mirdha was a member of both the Indian Parliament and the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He was well-known for working to improve Rajasthan's cooperative and agricultural industries.[45]
Bhanu Prakash Mirdha: Son of Nathuram Mirdha, Bhanu Prakash Mirdha became a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and served as a member of the Lok Sabha, representing the Nagaur constituency.[46]
Baldev Ram Mirdha: Known for his contributions to the farmers' movement in the area, Baldev Ram Mirdha was a highly esteemed figure in Rajasthan. In the former princely state of Jodhpur, he worked as a police officer and promoted peasant empowerment and literacy.[49]
Ramnivas Mirdha: The son of Baldev Ram Mirdha, Ramnivas Mirdha was a prominent politician who held the positions of speaker and member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He was well-known for his contributions to culture and education and held a number of ministerial posts in the Indian government.[50]
Raghvendra Mirdha: The son of Harendra Mirdha, Raghvendra Mirdha has continued the family’s political legacy. He has been involved in the family business and has taken an active role in the Indian National Congress at the state level.[52]
Leela Maderna: She served as the Chairman of Apex Bank and was a Zila Parishad Member. She is wife of former minister Mahipal Maderna.[57]
Divya Maderna: Daughter of former minister Mahipal Maderna. She contested and won the assembly elections from the Osian constituency in Jodhpur in 2018. Divya is associated with the Indian National Congress (INC).[58] She has also been appointed as the President of Gram Seva Sahakari Samiti Limited in Chadi village. Notably, Divya Maderna received the Women Political Leadership Award in 2019 and the Adarsh Yuva Vidhayak Samman at the 12th Indian Student Parliament in 2021 .[59]
Brijendra Singh Ola: son of Sis Ram Ola. He is elected as the member of Rajasthan legislative assembly for four terms. He also served as state minister of Transport and Road Safety.[63] In 2017, he was honoured with the award for the best legislator. [64]
Ram Singh Kaswan: He is a former member of Lok Sabha, representing Churu constituency for four terms. He is son of Deep Chand Kaswan.[66]
Rahul Kaswan: Son of Ram Singh Kaswan. Third generation politician from kaswan family, he has been elected as an MP from Churu twice, in 2014 and 2019, as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He resigned the BJP and joined the Indian National Congress on 11 March 2024.[67][68]
The current Bhajan Lal Ministry represents the formation of the Twenty-seventh cabinet of the Indian state Rajasthan. The Current Government of Rajasthan have four Ministers from Jat Community out of which two are cabinet minister, one is Minister of State (Independent Charge) and Minister of State respectively.[69][70]
In Rajasthan, the congress party has historically had more Jat presidents in Rajasthan due to several reasons. Caste has had a major role in political mobilization in Rajasthan, largely because of the party's policies and the possibilities it gives Jat leaders to assume leadership roles, the Jat population, which makes up a biggest portion of the electorate, has historically sided more with the Congress.[14] The agricultural Jat population may have supported Congress more when it focused on farmer welfare by offering debt waivers, financial aid for illnesses like lumpy skin condition, power subsidies, and legislation establishing a Minimum Support Price (MSP).[76]
The Jat community's inclination towards the BJP might have been impacted by its internal dynamics and the marginalisation of specific leaders. For example, the Jat community's disenchantment with the BJP has been attributed to the controversial farm regulations and the marginalisation of leaders such as party president Satish Poonia just before 2023 assembly elections after a tenure of 3.5 years as state president .[77]
This section includes political leaders from Jat community who served as State president of Indian National Congress in Rajasthan or RPCC. Till date seven members become president of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Comittee from Jat community.
Sardar Harlal Singh : He was an important player in Rajasthan politics and a leading figure in the colonial Indian farmers' movement. Known for his leadership in the Praja Mandal in the 1940s, he later organized the RPCC in the post-independence former princely state of Jaipur.[78]
Ramnarayan Choudhary : He was elected to the Assembly for seven out of twelve terms. He was a prominent Jat politician from Rajasthan's Shekhawati area. He presided over the RPCC as its president from 1980 to 1982.[79]
Parsaram Maderna : He served as President, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee between 1989 - 1994.[80]
Nathuram Mirdha : Chiefly led by Chhotu Ram, Mirdha arranged a large-scale farmer's assembly in Jodhpur. In 1946, Baldev Ram Mirdha established the "Kisan Sabha," an organization of farmers, and he became a secretary. He also served as pres of RPCC.[81]
Narayan Singh Burdak : He was Pradesh Congress Committee President of Rajasthan until 13 April 2005.[82]
Govind Singh Dotasara : He is currently president, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress committee and he assumed office on July 14, 2020. Previously he served as vice president of RPCC between 2014 to 2020.[83]
Satish Poonia : He is the fist and only President of Bharatiya Janta Party, Rajasthan from Jat community. He served as president from 15 September 2019 to 23 March 2023 for a tenure of more than three years.[84][85]
^Singh, Vir (2004). The Jats: Their Role & Contribution to the Socio-economic Life and Polity of North & North-west India (in en US) (3rd Volume ed.). Low Price Publications.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
^Nijjar, Bakhshish Singh (2008). Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 424. ISBN9788126909087.
^Pande, Ram (1970). Bharatpur Upto 1826: A Social and Political History of the Jats. Rama Publishers.
^Jaffrelot, Christophe; Kumar, Sanjay, eds. (4 May 2012). Rise of the Plebeians? The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies. Taylor and francis. pp. 179–183. ISBN9781136516627.