Rajasthan Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress Names Arvind Damor As Banswara Candidate, Setting Triangular Contest With BJP & BAP

Hours before the closure of the nomination for the second phase of Loksabha elections on Thursday, the Congress in Rajasthan announced Arvind Damor as its candidate for the Banswara Lok Sabha seat. Damor's candidature has set a triangular contest on  this tribal dominated seat as  the BJP has fielded Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, who was a former minister in Gehlot government and Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) is contesting with its MLA Rajkumar Roat.

Congress-BAP Alliance Speculations And Negotiations

Earlier there were speculations of an alliance between Congress and BAP as Congress was finding it difficult to field a candidate from this seat after the defection of Malviya to BJP.  A senior leader of Congress said there were talks of Congress's alliance with BAP, but things did not work out. The BAP, besides, Rajasthan was  demanding a seat in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, due to which the matter remained pending till the last moment. 

Although, before the announcement of Congress candidate, BAP candidate Roat took to platform X and offering an alliance said, “If Congress leaves the Banswara-Dungarpur seat for alliance supporting the BAP, then we and all the residents here will be grateful to the Congress high command and will defeat the BJP.”

BAP Candidate's Offer Reopens Seat Negotiations

BAP candidate's offer has once again open the option for Congress of leaving the seat for BAP, though the Congress general secretary and spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi stated that Arvind Damor is Congress candidate and will contest the election.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections also there was a triangular contest on this seat between Congress, BJP and BTP which has now become BAP. BJP’s Kanakamal Katara had won this seat with over three lakh votes but this time the  BJP denied ticket to sitting MP Kanakamal Katara and gave to Malviya, who recently joined from Congress.