Jaipur: BJP member Vijay Bainsla Tuesday marked the 4th death anniversary of his father, Gujjar quota spearhead Col Kirori Singh Bainsla, with a visit to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, offering prayers and distributing food. While framed as a personal tribute, the visit quickly acquired political overtones in Rajasthan’s shifting landscape. Bainsla suffered defeat in the 2023 assembly elections from Deoli-Uniara constituency and currently holds no formal organisational position within BJP. In this context, his recent outreach—marked by religious symbolism and calibrated social messaging—appears aimed at regaining political relevance and re-entering active politics. Observers note that the Dargah visit is not an isolated gesture. It aligns with Bainsla’s recent engagement with Muslim communities and his renewed focus on OBC-MBC demands in state’s tribal sub-plan areas. Together, these moves indicate a conscious effort to move beyond the Gurjar-centric identity, which defined his father’s politics, and build a broader, cross-community support base for himself. Publicly, Bainsla dismissed political readings of the visit, calling it an act of faith and invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.” However, his remarks during the visit added a more layered dimension. Referring to the presence of over 3 crore Gurjar ancestry across Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said that despite religious differences, “we are sons of the same soil. The visit is also a reminder to the Gurjars across the border of their origin in Bharat”, a statement with a subtle geopolitical undertone. Within party circles, the timing and messaging have not gone unnoticed. BJP insiders said his recent activism is being closely tracked, particularly as the party calibrates caste equations in Rajasthan. His push for OBC-MBC reservation in TSP regions is seen as an attempt to tap into emerging socio-political fault lines. “Bainsla is clearly trying to expand his acceptability,” a senior BJP functionary said. “With the Gurjar quota issue no longer at the centre, he is exploring new constituencies.” Over the past few months, Bainsla’s political repositioning has become more evident. From a politician rooted in a single-issue agitation, he is recasting himself as a broader social representative, balancing identity, welfare demands and symbolic outreach. For BJP, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge. While Bainsla holds no formal post, the legacy of his father continues to carry influence across eastern Rajasthan.
Bainsla makes strategic move with dargah visit | Jaipur News
