NEW DELHI: On June 4, the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 were announced, revealing a unique battle in the Barmer constituency. Ummeda Ram Beniwal of the Congress has won the seats with over 1.18 lakhs votes with total votes 7,04,676. The entry of 26-year-old Ravinder Bhati as an Independent Candidate has transformed the traditional Congress vs. BJP fight into a three-way contest. He positioned himself at second position with 5,86,500 votes. Kailash Choudhary of BJP, who is current minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in second Modi Ministry has trailed behind at third position from the Barmer.
The voting for this constituency, which includes 8 legislative assemblies, occurred during the second phase of the elections on April 26. At initial stage the trends were showing that Ummeda Ram Beniwal of the Congress was leading from the Barmer Lok Sabha seat. The prominent candidates from the constituency include Kailash Choudhary of the BJP, Ummeda Ram Beniwal representing the Indian National Congress, and Ravidra Singh Bhati, a former RSS and ABVP member who is now running as an Independent candidate, posing a strong challenge to his opponents.
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The Barmer Lok Sabha seat has historically been a stronghold for the Congress party, which secured victory in 9 out of 15 elections from 1957 to 2014. Colonel Sonaram notably represented the constituency for three consecutive terms from 1996 to 2004 as a Congress candidate. However, the party’s influence waned during the 2014 Modi wave. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which witnessed a voter turnout of 73%, Kailash Choudhary of the BJP emerged triumphant with 8,44,104 votes, securing a decisive victory over the runner-up, Manvendra Singh of the INC, by a substantial margin of 3,23,248 votes.
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Due to win of Ummed Ram Beniwal of Indian National Congress, BJP faced a big set-back in Barmer. The tally for Indian National Congress goes to 8 in 2024 Lok Sabha election and BJP has held the ground with 14 seats.
