Shekhawat campaigns for BJP in Rajasthan Panchayati Raj polls
Synopsis
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat campaigned at Dhundhada in Rajasthan's Luni Assembly constituency on 25 October 2026, seeking votes for BJP's Zila Parishad Ward 17 candidate Shankar Devasi and Panchayat Samiti members in the ongoing Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended a campaign rally at Dhundhada in Luni Assembly constituency on 25 October 2026 .
He sought votes for Shankar Devasi , BJP's candidate for Zila Parishad Ward 17 , and for Panchayat Samiti members.
Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel and Animal Welfare Board Chairman Jaswant Singh Bishnoi also attended the event.
The rally is part of BJP's coordinated national-state strategy to mobilise support in the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections .
Control of Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis carries long-term organisational significance ahead of future state assembly polls.
Grassroots democracy came centre-stage in Rajasthan on Sunday, 25 October 2026, as Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took to the campaign trail in Dhundhada, Luni Assembly constituency, urging voters to back the BJP in the ongoing Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections.
Addressing a public gathering, Shekhawat appealed for votes in favour of Shankar Devasi, the BJP candidate from Zila Parishad Ward 17, as well as the party's Panchayat Samiti members contesting in the area. The minister described his attendance as a 'humble appeal' — vinarm agrah — to the electorate ahead of polling day.
Cabinet weight behind the local ballot
Shekhawat was joined on the dais by two prominent Rajasthan government leaders: Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel and Jaswant Singh Bishnoi, Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of Rajasthan. Their presence underlined the BJP's deliberate strategy of deploying senior figures — from both the Union government and the state cabinet — to shore up local body candidates across rural Rajasthan.
As a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Shekhawat's participation in the Luni segment, which falls within his broader constituency belt, is part of a consistent pattern: Union ministers from Rajasthan have routinely anchored Panchayati Raj campaigns to translate national-level BJP credibility into village-level vote counts.
Why Panchayati Raj elections matter beyond the village
India's Panchayati Raj system, entrenched by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992, makes local body contests far more than administrative housekeeping. Control of Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis shapes how rural development funds flow, which party holds organisational muscle at the ground level, and — critically — which political network is energised heading into future assembly and general elections.
For the BJP, a strong showing in Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj polls would reinforce the state organisation built after the party's return to power in Rajasthan in December 2023, converting state-level momentum into durable grassroots infrastructure.
Every ward won in Dhundhada today is a precinct the party doesn't have to rebuild from scratch the next time Rajasthan goes to the assembly polls. That calculus is exactly why a Union minister drove to a village rally on a Sunday evening.
Point of View
Panchayati Raj elections are never purely local — they are a live test of organisational depth and a dry run for assembly campaigns. The attendance of a state cabinet minister alongside a Union minister signals the BJP's anxiety to consolidate its December 2023 Rajasthan state election gains all the way down to the ward level. A weak showing in rural local bodies would expose cracks in that post-assembly-victory infrastructure before the next electoral cycle.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat campaigning in Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections?
As a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Shekhawat is part of the party's strategy to deploy Union ministers in their home states to strengthen local body candidates during the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections.
Who is Shankar Devasi?
Shankar Devasi is the BJP candidate contesting from Zila Parishad Ward 17 in Rajasthan, for whom Shekhawat sought votes at the Dhundhada rally on 25 October 2026.
What is the significance of Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Rajasthan?
Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis are key pillars of India's Panchayati Raj system established under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment of 1992. Control over these bodies determines how rural development funds are deployed and which party holds grassroots organisational strength.
Who else attended the Dhundhada rally with Shekhawat?
Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel and Jaswant Singh Bishnoi, Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of Rajasthan, also attended the campaign event at Dhundhada.
Where is Luni Assembly constituency?
Luni Assembly constituency is located in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, and falls within the broader parliamentary constituency represented by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
