राजस्थान, राजनीति और माली समाज Rajasthan, Rajneeti aur Mali Samaj

What is the magic that allows a lone MLA from the Mali caste to become the Chief Minister? How does a Mali become the state president of a powerful party? What is the political power of the Mali caste? Or why are there Malis in Rajasthan—a necessity for every party? Today, we will discuss this political tutelage of the Mali caste. And finally, an interesting fact about the Mali community: Slowly, O mind, everything happens slowly. A gardener waters a hundred pots, and when the season arrives, the fruit appears. The Mali community took this saying of Kabir seriously in Rajasthan politics, becoming three-time Chief Ministers from the Congress party, becoming the state president of the BJP, serving as ministers in several state governments, and even reaching the Rajya Sabha. The Mali community's rise to political power has seen many ups and downs... The first upswing comes in 1998. The Rajasthan Assembly election results are out. There's a buzz surrounding the Chief Minister's position. Many prominent figures are in the running, each with their own stakes and their own issues. But then the name is announced, and Ashok Gehlot, a member of the Mali community, is chosen as Chief Minister—he's only 47 years old and not even an MLA. 2008: The election results are out, but this time all the Congress stalwarts have lost the election...except one, and amid a tug-of-war for the Chief Minister's post, he is re-elected. Then comes 2018...Congress wins the election results, and this time, the gardener faces a difficult path...A photo is released from Delhi, and the sole Mali MLA, Ashok Gehlot, is once again entrusted with the responsibility of tending the garden. And when Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as Chief Minister in 2018, the state president of the opposition BJP was another Mali, Madanlal Saini, who was also a Rajya Sabha member. Prabhulal Saini is a prominent leader in the BJP from the Mali community, who held the important portfolio of Agriculture in Vasundhara Raje's government. To understand the political power of the Mali community, it's important to know some statistics: The 1931 census shows that the Mali community constitutes approximately 3.25% of the population in Rajasthan, although the Mali community currently claims 10%. Despite such a small population, Rajasthan has a story to tell about its rise to political power. You may have heard the story of the bundle, where the bundle doesn't break when all the sticks are put together, but breaks when scattered, thus conveying the message of strength in unity. But the Mali community in Rajasthan has the opposite story, and so does its strength. The Mali community's fragmented nature has been its greatest political strength. Of Rajasthan's 200 assembly constituencies, the Mali community is present in almost every assembly constituency, ranging from 5,000 to 50,000, and plays a significant role in the difference between victory and defeat. Geographically, the Mali community is strongest in eastern Rajasthan, with significant influence in Shekhawati, Hadoti, Jaipur city, and some areas of western Rajasthan. Except for some areas of Mewar, the Mali community lacks much influence in southern Rajasthan and the Hanumangarh-Ganganagar region. These statistics should give you an idea of ​​how the Mali community, scattered across every region, managed to establish itself as a political force. Recognizing the Mali community's political strength, both political parties allocated 12 tickets to the community in the 2018 assembly elections. Now, let's talk about the interesting fact we promised you. June 4, 2023... Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was delivering a speech on the stage and podium of the Mali Mahasammelan in Jaipur. He had to interrupt his speech and leave the podium. People present at the Mahasammelan told us that they were upset with Keshav Prasad Maurya for giving the Mahasammelan's platform a BJP-centric feel. Conversely, when we gathered information about the Mali community's political history and voting patterns, we discovered an interesting fact. The Mali community has long been considered a core BJP voter in Rajasthan. However, after speaking with some elders and especially working youth, we concluded that this time the Mali community in Rajasthan is moving away from the RSS-BJP umbrella and toward the BJP, which is why Keshav Prasad Maurya faced opposition from the Mali community at the Mahasammelan. The Mali community points to three years—1998, 2008, and 2018—as reasons for the growing trend toward the Congress. Plz join us on:    / @rajgatha1     / rajgatha1     / rajgatha1