Outgoing Speaker Om Birla faces challenge from arch rival, Raje loyalist in Kota

Two-time BJP MP Om Birla is facing a tough contest in his Kota Lok Sabha seat, which votes on April 26. One reason is his “absence” from his constituency during his last term, in which he served as the Lok Sabha Speaker. The second is his challenger, the Congress’s Prahlad Gunjal, a former BJP leader and Vasundhara Raje loyalist.

“Birla was not seen in the constituency for the last five years. Now that elections are here, he is touring, taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name,” says Mahesh Bairwa, a resident of Rangpur village.

Residents say all of Birla’s visits to Kota since 2019 have been restricted to public meetings in the city, with the MP barely touching rural areas.

Suresh Meena, a resident of Nayagaon village, who calls himself an “ardent” follower of Modi, says he will vote this time for Gunjal. “He is a powerful leader, connected to the ground, and is contesting elections on local issues.”

Gunjal is believed to have left the BJP for the Congress due to growing differences with Birla. The two leaders, who started their political journey at the same time, were caught in a tussle for dominance over the city. As Raje lost his clout in the state unit, so did Gunjal in Kota.

The Congress was happy to receive him as it did not have any suitable candidate against Birla.

A Congress leader, speaking anonymously, said: “The entry of Gunjal has energised the ranks. Kota was seen as a one-sided competition.” However, the leader said, their main challenge is the enduring appeal of Modi.

A few BJP supporters in Barodiya village, for example, say that while they have no love lost for Birla, they will vote for him to get Modi back as PM.

Birla’s campaign too has mostly talked about the Modi government’s “achievements”, including