Jaipur : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to have begun preparations for the next Assembly elections, with a renewed focus on taking all social communities along. Following its strong performance in the recently concluded urban local body elections, the party has started finalising candidates for key mayoral positions with what appears to be a broader social and political strategy.
The BJP has secured boards in more than 200 urban local bodies and is now carefully selecting candidates for mayoral and other key posts. In a significant move, the party has fielded three leaders from the Jain community for mayoral positions in major cities of Rajasthan.
In Udaipur, the BJP has named Paras Jain as its mayoral candidate. His election is being viewed as strong, while in Jodhpur, the party has fielded Prasann Chand Mehta for the mayoral post. In Jaipur, Sunil Kothari has been named the BJP’s candidate.
The decision to field three candidates from the Jain community in major cities is being viewed as an important political move by the BJP to strengthen its connect with the community ahead of the 2028 Rajasthan Assembly elections.
The Jain community has a significant presence in Rajasthan, particularly in the state’s business and trading sectors. A sizeable section of the state’s prominent business community comes from the Jain community, making its social and political influence significant.
The BJP’s latest move indicates that the party is keen to maintain and further strengthen its relationship with the Jain community. The role of Jain leaders and the community could become important in the political landscape leading up to the 2028 Assembly elections.
The move may also provide the BJP with an opportunity to consolidate its support among sections of the urban business community. At the same time, the Congress will have to assess its own outreach to the Jain community and other influential social groups as preparations for the next Assembly election gradually gather pace.
By fielding Jain community leaders in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, the BJP has sent a clear political signal about its intention to maintain a broad-based social coalition in Rajasthan.
