Two-time MP from Churu, Rahul Kaswan, who has resigned from the BJP and joined Congress, is a third generation Jat politician from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region. He became the youngest Lok Sabha Member from the State at the age of 37 when he won the 2014 general elections by defeating Bahujan Samaj Party’s Abhinesh Maharshi.
Mr. Kaswan, 47, won with a record margin of 2.94 lakh votes in 2014, which was the highest-ever in Churu Lok Sabha constituency. He was an immediate successor of his father Ram Singh Kaswan, who represented the seat in Lok Sabha for four terms.
Mr. Kaswan won the Churu seat again as a BJP candidate in 2019 by defeating his nearest rival, Rafique Mandelia of the Congress, with a margin of 3.34 lakh votes. Having obtained bachelor’s degree in commerce from the Delhi University and diploma in management from the National Institute of Sales, the young MP runs a business and was active in the social fields since his student days.
Mr. Kaswan’s ancestors had migrated to Kalri village in Churu district’s Rajgarh tehsil from Matani in Bhiwani district of Haryana, while he was born in Sadulpur. He was married to Neelu Kaswan in 2000 and has two sons.
Mr. Kaswan’s grandfather, Deep Chand Kaswan, was a freedom fighter and an MP, while his mother, Kamla Kaswan, has also been an MLA from Sadulpur. The Kaswan family wields a significant influence in Churu district, just like the politically influential Ola family in Jhunjhunu, Mirdha family in Nagaur and the Maderna clan in Jodhpur.
Both Mr. Kaswan and his father are considered close to senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. They had organised a grand birthday celebration of Ms. Raje, who turned 70, at Salasar Balaji Dham in Churu district on March 4 last year, as a show of strength to convey to the Central leadership that she had a mass following and was the most popular leader of the party.
Farmers’ agitation
Mr. Kaswan belongs to the Jat community, comprising 15% of the population in Rajasthan, which has been unhappy with the BJP over the suppression of the farmers’ agitation, as most of the farmers’ groups and unions are led by Jats. The community is also irked over the handling of the women wrestlers’ protest by the Union government last year.
Though Mr. Kaswan announced his resignation from primary membership of the BJP as well as the post of MP through a post on X on Monday. He has been unhappy since the party denied the Lok Sabha ticket to him earlier this month and instead fielded Paralympics player Devendra Jhajharia as its candidate from Churu.
In an emotional outburst, Mr. Kaswan sought to know the reasons for not declaring him the Lok Sabha candidate for the third term. “Was I not loyal? Was I tainted? Did I leave any stone unturned in getting the works done in Churu?” he said in a long post on X, adding that he had ensured implementation of all Central schemes in his constituency.
As Mr. Kaswan carried the legacy of his father and grandfather, he was hopeful of recognition by the BJP of his track record during the last 10 years. Nevertheless, he expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior party leaders and thanked the people of Churu for extending their support and cooperation to him.
