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]Maharana Kirat Singh, also known as Rana Kirat Singh, was a Jat emperor who ruled
Gohad kingdom (1803–1805) in Madhya Pradesh, India, from 1763 to 1735. He was the princely state's founder and first ruler (1805–1835) of
Dholpur.[8][9] He was the founder and first ruler of
Dholpur (princely state) (1805–1835). These events 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.[10] 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.[11][12]
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 caste in Rajasthan state.[13][14]
Approximately 1 crore people, or 8-10% of Rajasthan's total population, are Jats.[14]
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 8% to 10% of the total electorate in Rajasthan.[15][16]
In the state of Rajasthan, the districts of
Sikar,
Jhunjhunu, and
Churu in the
Shekhawati region are recognized for their dense Jat population.[20] Similarly,
Nagaur district has a prominent Jat community.[21] The
Bikaner district is also known for its Jat inhabitants, including the eco-centric
Bishnoi sect.[22] Furthermore, the capital district of Jaipur, as well as Barmer, Tonk, and Ajmer, are home to numbers of Jats.[23]
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.[21] 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]
History
Post Independence Era
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][19]
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]
Political families
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]
4. Ola Family
The Ola family has played a significant role in Jhunjhunu politics.
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]
5. Kaswan Family
The Kaswan family of Churu is a prominent political family with a significant influence in the region's politics.
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]
Ram Lal Jat - Minister for Revenue. Represents Mandal constituency, Bhilwara district.
Udai Lal Anjana - In charge of Co-operative. Represents Nimbahera constituency, Chittorgarh district.
Ministers of State
Brijendra Singh Ola - Independent charge of Transport & Road Safety. Represents Jhunjhunu constituency, Jhunjhunu district.
Harish Choudhary - Managed Revenue but resigned to become Punjab Incharge. Represented Baytoo constituency, Barmer district.
Govind Singh Dotasra - Took care of Primary & Secondary Education but resigned to become President of the Rajasthan Congress. Represented Laxmangarh constituency, Sikar district.
In the 14th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the state cabinet of the Indian state of Rajasthan is led by Chief Minister
Vasundhra Raje.
Cabinet Ministers
Dr. Ram Pratap : served as a Cabinet Minister for Water Resources and the Indira Gandhi Canal. He represented the
Hanumangarh constituency, Hanumangarh.
Ajay Singh Kilak : held the position of Cabinet Minister, overseeing the Co-Operative and Gopalan ministries. He was elected from the
Degana constituency in Nagaur district. His Lok Sabha constituency was Rajasmand.
State Minister
Amraram Choudhary : He was a State Minister with Independent Charge, managing the Revenue, Colonisation, and Rehabilitation ministries. He represented the
Pachpadra constituency in the Barmer district.
Krishnendra Kaur Deepa : He served as a State Minister with Independent Charge. Her portfolio included Art & Culture, Archaeology & Museum, Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Finance. She represented the
Nadbai constituency, which falls under the Bharatpur district.
Banshidhar Bajiya : He was a State Minister responsible for the Health ministry. He was the representative for the
Khandela constituency in the Sikar district.
In the 13th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the state cabinet of the Indian state of Rajasthan is led by Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot
Cabinet Ministers
Hemaram Choudhary : He was a cabinet minister and managed the Colonization, Revenue, Sainik Welfare, and Water Resources departments. He served the
Gudha Malani constituency in the Barmer district.
Mahipal Maderna : He was a Cabinet Minister and oversaw the Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Public Health Engineering, Ground Water, and Irrigated Area departments, representing the
Osian constituency in the Jodhpur district.
Harji Ram Burdak : He was a Cabinet Minister in charge of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries. He represented the
Ladnun constituency in the Nagaur district.
State Ministers
Brijendra Singh Ola : Ola was the Minister of State with Independent Charge, overseeing the Department of Disaster Management and Relief, the Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Agriculture, Soldiers' Welfare, and the Department of Co-operation. He represented the
Jhunjhunu constituency.
Vinod Kumar Lilawali : He served as the Minister of State for the Agriculture Department, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, and the Fisheries Department, representing the
Hanumangarh constituency.
Ram Lal Jat : He served as the Minister of State with Independent Charge, was responsible for the Minerals Department and Forest and Environment. He served the
Mandal constituency in the Bhilwara district.
In 2019 general elections 24 seats out of 25 were won by the Bharatiya Janata Party while Congress party won zero seats and RLP Party won one seat of Hanuman Beniwal in alliance with the BJP.[87] Kailash Chaudhary was
Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
List of elected Jat candidates in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections :
C.R. Chaudhary (BJP) - He defeated INC Candidate
Jyoti Mirdha by a margin of 75,218 votes. He served as Minister of State of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and also served as Minister of State in
Ministry of Commence and Industry.[97][96]
Sumedhanand Saraswati (BJP) - He defeated INC Candidate Pratap Singh Jat by a margin of 2,39,196 votes.[99]
Dushyant Singh (BJP) - He defeated INC Candidate Pramod Bhaya by a margin of 2,81,546 votes.
Rahul Kaswan (BJP) - He defeated BSP Candidate Abhinesh Maharshi by a margin of 2,94,739 votes.
Santosh Ahlawat (BJP) - She defeated INC Candidate Raj Bala Ola by a margin of 2,33,835 votes.
Lok sabha speakers
Since the formation of this position only two Jat people became speakers of the Lok Sabha. On 8 August 1969
Gurdial Singh Dhillon became Speaker of the 5th lok sabha for the first time from Jat community and remained on post till 1 December 1975 for a period of 6 years and 110 days. Dhillon was a member of the
Indian National Congress.
Balram Jakhar was the second person from Jat community to become speaker of Lok Sabha after Gurdial Singh Dhillon. Jakhar was Speaker of Lok Sabha from 22 January 1980 to 18 December 1889 for a period of 9 years and 329 days. Jakhar is longest serving speaker of the Lok Sabha till date.[100][101][102]
State presidents from political parties
In Rajasthan, the congress party has historically 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.[15] 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).[103]
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 .[104]
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 Committee 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.[105]
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.[106]
Parsaram Maderna : He served as President, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee between 1989 - 1994.[107]
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.[108]
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 and 2020.[110]
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^Nijjar, Bakhshish Singh (2008). Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 424.
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^Pande, Ram (1970). Bharatpur Upto 1826: A Social and Political History of the Jats. Rama Publishers.
^Tyagi, Vidya Prakash (2009). Martial races of Undivided India. Gyan Publishing House. p. 75.
ISBN978-81-7835-775-1. As a compensation for Gohad, the Jat ruler Rana Kirat Singh was given Dhaulpur, Badi and Rajakheda; Kirat Singh moved to Dhaulpur in December 1805. Ballabhgarh was another important princely state founded by the Jats of the Tewatia ...
^Shashi, Shyam Singh (1996). Encyclopaedia Indica: Princely States in Colonial India. Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Vol. 168. Anmol Publications. p. 52.
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^Jaffrelot, Christophe; Kumar, Sanjay, eds. (4 May 2012). Rise of the Plebeians? The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies.
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^Mahotsav, Amrit.
"Baldev Ramji Mirdha". Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-15.