Chandigarh/ Jaipur, 07 November 2024: The Congress on Thursday suspended Naresh Meena, a Rajasthan leader, for rebelling against the party’s choice for the Deoli-Uniara Assembly by-poll set for next week. State party in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa confirmed the suspension order, stating it followed Meena’s decision to contest as an independent after the party chose Kastor Chand Meena as its candidate.
Naresh Meena had aspired to run for the Deoli-Uniara seat but launched his independent campaign after the Congress overlooked him. His decision, reportedly backed by the Bharat Adivasi Party, raised concerns about splitting the community’s vote.
A local Congress member, speaking on condition of anonymity, commented, “The split could be costly, considering the close margins in previous races.”
This is not Naresh Meena’s first act of rebellion. He previously contested independently in last year’s Assembly election, running against the Congress nominee in Chhabra and securing around 44,000 votes.
His independent bid reportedly contributed to Congress candidate Karan Rathore’s narrow loss to BJP’s Pratap Singhvi, who won by fewer than 7,000 votes.
Despite his earlier defection, the Congress readmitted Meena ahead of the Lok Sabha election, only to see him later express interest in contesting the Dausa seat.
While he eventually withdrew, this latest dispute suggests ongoing friction within the party ranks over candidate selection.
The Deoli-Uniara by-poll was triggered after Harish Chandra Meena, the seat’s representative since 2018, vacated his position upon being elected to the Lok Sabha in the April-June general election.
The constituency, part of the Tonk Lok Sabha seat, is regarded as a Congress stronghold with significant influence from Sachin Pilot, the former Deputy Chief Minister.
Deoli-Uniara, created for the 2008 Assembly election, has predominantly favored Congress candidates.
Ram Narayan Meena won the seat in its first election, but it shifted briefly to the BJP with Rajendra Gujjar’s victory five years later. Since then, Harish Meena has reclaimed and held the seat, winning decisively in the 2018 and 2023 elections, even as Congress lost the state to the BJP.
In the 2023 contest, Harish Meena defeated BJP’s Vijay Bainsla by nearly 20,000 votes.
Next week’s by-poll will be one of seven Assembly contests in Rajasthan, covering seats in Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Khinvsar, Chaurasi, Salumbar, Ramgarh, and Deoli-Uniara. Voting is scheduled for November 13, with results expected on November 23.
