Family bonds challenged at the election ballot

In the recent state assembly elections, a noteworthy occurrence unfolded as family members residing together contested against each other. Although only one of them won, they successfully secured entry into the assembly.
The 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections featured contests between nephews and nieces facing off against uncles, as well as electoral battles between spouses, brothers, and fathers competing against daughters. In this setting, the electoral dynamics within the family generated an intriguing scenario, with some individuals expressing eagerness to defeat their own family members in the electoral arena.
Nagaur: Uncle defeated niece
In the contested seat in Nagaur district, two members of the Mirdha family faced each other. Former MP Jyoti Mirdha contested as the BJP candidate, while her uncle, Harendra Mirdha, contested from Congress. Harendra Mirdha defeated his niece.
In the counting that went on for 18 rounds, Harendra Mirdha defeated his niece Jyoti Mirdha with a margin of 13,970 votes. Jyoti had recently joined the BJP.
Alwar Rural: Daughter challenged her father
In the Alwar district, Jairam Jatav from BJP contested the election from this seat. His daughter, Meena Kumari, fought as an independent candidate. Jairam, a two-time MLA from this constituency, along with his daughter, faced defeat. Minister Tika Ram Jully won from this seat.
Dantaramgarh: Husband and wife contested on the same seat
In the Dantaramgarh constituency of Sikar district, Congress incumbent MLA Veerendra Singh contested against his wife, Dr. Rita Singh, from the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). Rita Singh, who is also the president of the women’s wing of JJP, faced defeat in this electoral clash.
Dholpur: Sister-in-law defeated brother-in-law
In the Dholpur district, Shobharani Kushwaha, on a Congress ticket, contested against Shivcharan Kushwaha from the BJP. They are relatives by marriage, and Shobharani defeated her brother-in-law. Shobharani Kushwaha pushed BJP’s Shivcharan Kushwaha to the third position in the electoral competition. She defeated BSP’s Ritesh Sharma with a margin of 16,789 votes.
Bhadra: Uncle defeated nephew
In the Churu district, Sanjeev Beniwal from BJP contested on this seat. Meanwhile, his nephew Ajit Beniwal contested on a Congress ticket. Sanjeev defeated his nephew by a significant margin. Sanjeev Beniwal has been a two-time MLA from this constituency.
The election results underscore the complexity and diversity of family dynamics in the political landscape of Rajasthan.