New Delhi: In a major electoral turn, Parvesh Singh Verma, BJP’s Jat leader, dealt a crushing blow to AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the recent Assembly elections. This development prompted poll watchers to assess the damage inflicted on the ruling party, particularly by the small but significant Jat community in the national capital.

The New Delhi seat, which saw a fierce electoral contest between Kejriwal and Parvesh Verma, is not traditionally a Jat-dominated constituency. However, Verma’s victory highlights the reposed faith of the Jat community in him, marking a shift from previous elections in 2015 and 2020. 

Jat influence in key constituencies

There are around 10 constituencies where Jat voters make up a significant portion of the electorate, contributing roughly 10 percent of the total votes. The following is a breakdown of how the Jat electorate voted in these seats:

  • Mehrauli: In a constituency with a notable Jat population, BJP candidate Gajendra Singh Yadav secured a narrow victory, defeating AAP’s Mahendra Chaudhary by a margin of about 1,700 votes.
  • Najafgarh: BJP’s Neelam Pahalwan triumphed in this Jat-dominated seat, winning by a significant margin of 29,000 votes against AAP’s Tarun Kumar.
  • Bijwasan: Kailash Gahlot, formerly a minister in the Kejriwal government, contested on a BJP ticket and won by a margin of over 11,000 votes, defeating AAP’s Surendra Bhardwaj.
  • Palam: This key Jat constituency in South Delhi supported BJP’s Kuldeep Solanki, who emerged victorious with a margin of over 8,000 votes. AAP’s Joginder Solanki came in second place.
  • Matiala: BJP’s Sandeep Sehrawat led by over 27,000 votes after 28 rounds of counting, securing a total of over 1.44 lakh votes, surpassing AAP’s Sumesh Shokeen.
  • Vikaspuri: BJP’s Pankaj Kumar Singh led AAP’s Mahinder Yadav by more than 9,000 votes in this constituency.
  • Nangloi: In this key Jat constituency, BJP’s Manoj Kumar Shokeen emerged victorious, garnering more than 75,000 votes—about 25,000 votes more than the closest AAP candidate, Raghuveer Shokeen, who received around 49,000 votes.
  • Narela: BJP’s Raj Karan Khatri defeated AAP’s Sharad Kumar by over 8,000 votes in this constituency.
  • Mundka: Another Jat-dominated seat, BJP’s Gajender Drall won by over 10,000 votes, defeating AAP’s Jasbir Kalra.
  • Rithala: BJP’s Kulwant Rana won this Jat constituency by a commanding margin of over 29,000 votes, defeating AAP’s Mohinder Goyal.

IANS