Hanuman Beniwal

Hanuman Beniwal (born 2 March 1972) is an Indian politician and farmer leader from Nagaur, Rajasthan. He is serving as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament representing Nagaur. He is founder and president of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. He has been elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for four-terms from Khinvsar constituency since 2008. He is also a two term member of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament from Nagaur.^[1][2][3]

Hanuman Beniwal
Beniwal during a rally in March 2023
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2024
Preceded by	Self
In office 23 May 2019 (2019-05-23) – 15 December 2023
Preceded by	C. R. Chaudhary
Succeeded by	Self
Constituency	Nagaur
Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
In office 16 December 2023 – 18 June 2024
Preceded by	Narayan Beniwal
Succeeded by	Rewant Ram Danga
In office 2008-2019
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Narayan Beniwal
Constituency	Khinvsar
1st President of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 October 2018
Preceded by	Position established
National Convener of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 October 2018
Preceded by	Position established
President, Rajasthan University Student Union
In office 1997–1998
Personal details
Born	(1972-03-02) 2 March 1972 (age 52) Barangaon, Rajasthan, India
Political party	Rashtriya Loktantrik Party
Other political affiliations	Bharatiya Janata Party (till 2013)
Spouse	Kanika Beniwal ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2
Parent	Ramdev Beniwal (father)
Residence(s)	Rajasthan House, New Delhi
Education	Bachelor of Arts in 1993 Bachelor of Laws in 1998
Alma mater	University of Rajasthan
Occupation	Social Worker, Agriculturist

Early life and education

Beniwal with his mother Mohini Devi

Beniwal was born on 2 March 1972 to Ramdev Beniwal and Mohini Devi in Barangaon village of Nagaur district in Rajasthan.^[4] He belongs to Jat community.^[5] He did Bachelor of Arts from University of Rajasthan in 1993 and then he did Bachelor of Laws in 1998.^[6]

His younger brother Narayan Beniwal, is a former member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.^[7] His father Ramdev Beniwal was also a two term member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Mundwa constituency.^[8]

Political career

Student politics

Beniwal was initially exposed to politics due to his political family as his father, Ramdev Beniwal, became a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Mundwa constituency for two terms in 1977 and 1985. He first entered politics when he became president of Rajasthan College in 1995 and then he became president of the Rajasthan University Student Union in 1997, having previously won the University Law College in 1996.^[9]

Mainstream Indian politics

• Beniwal was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for the first time after the 2008 Rajasthan assembly elections. He was a member of the Bhartiya Janta Party and won the elections by defeating his rival BSP candidate Durg Singh, by a margin of 24,443 votes.^[10]

• In 2013, Beniwal's persistent claims against prominent party leaders, such as Rajendra Rathore and Vasundhara Raje, led to his suspension from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to Beniwal, they were "thoroughly corrupt," and there was a corrupt relationship between Raje and Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister at the time.^[11]

• In the 2013 Rajasthan assembly elections, he won the elections for a second term as an independent candidate from Khinvsar constituency by defeating a BJP rival by a margin of 23,020 votes.^[12]

• He successfully organised five Kisan Hunkar Maha Rallies in Nagaur, Barmer, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur and launched a political party called Rashtriya Loktantrik Party with an election symbol of "Bottle" in Jaipur on 29 October 2018.^[13]

• In the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections, he won the elections for third consecutive term as a member of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party by defeating INC Candidate Savai Singh Choudhary with a margin of 16,948 votes.^[14]

• In 2019 Lok Sabha election, Beniwal won from Nagaur seat in alliance with BJP and became member of the parliament for the first time.^[15]
• On the eve of 2019 Rajasthan Assembly By-elections Rashtriya Loktantrik Party gave ticket to Narayan Beniwal from Khinvsar constituency and he won the By-election and was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for the first time.^[16]

• In 2023, Beniwal won Rajasthan Assembly elections by defeating BJP's Rewant Ram with a margin of 2059 votes. Beniwal secured his seat in Rajasthan assembly for consecutive fourth term.^[17]
• In 2024, Beniwal won Indian general elections from Nagaur Constituency in alliance with INC by defeating BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha with a margin of 42,225 votes. Beniwal secured his seat in Lok Sabha for consecutive second term.^[18]
• After the 2024 Indian general elections, the Khinvsar Assembly seat is vacant as Beniwal resigned from the 16th Rajasthan Assembly after being elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. Beniwal gave RLP ticket to his wife, Kanika Beniwal, for the 2024 Rajasthan Assembly by-election for the Khinvsar seat.^[19]
• On the eve of the 2024 Rajasthan Assembly by-elections, Beniwal fielded his wife Kanika from the Khinvsar constituency on the ticket of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, but Kanika lost the by-elections to the BJP's Rewant Ram Danga. Khinvsar seat is considered a bastion for the Beniwal family because since the creation of this constituency in 2008, Hanuman won this seat four times, i.e., in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023, and his younger brother Narayan in 2019 by-elections. It was the first time since the creation of the Khinvsar constituency that a person outside the Beniwal family won this seat in 2024 by RLP former member and BJP's Rewant Ram Danga.^[20] In the 2024 Rajasthan by-elections, both Congress and BJP fielded their candidates against RLP Kanika Beniwal, and also two influential political families from the Jat community, i.e., Mirdha and Maderna, criticised Beniwal in the by-elections ^[21]

Farmer protest

In 2020, Beniwal joined the protest in Delhi against the farmer bills, calling it 'Anti-Farmers'. He went on to say that if he had been present in the Lok Sabha, he would have torn up the farm bills.^[22]

Rashtriya Loktantrik Party

On 29 October 2018, Beniwal founded the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, becoming its president and national convenor in the process.^[23] This made him one of the most influential politicians of Rajasthan since Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) is the only successful party in the state besides Indian National Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party.^[24]

Membership in governing bodies

In December 2024, Beniwal became member of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur governing body along with P.P. Chaudhary.

Personal life

He married Kanika Beniwal on 9 December 2009, with whom he has a son (Ashutosh) and a daughter (Divya).^[25][26] He is a follower and disciple of the Rajasthani folk hero-deity Veer Teja.^[27][28] Kanika hails from Sri Ganganagar and did Bachelor of Science from Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur.^[29] On the eve of 2024 Rajasthan Assembly By-elections, Kanika filed nomination from Khinwsar as a member of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party but lost to BJP Rewant Ram Danga by 13,901 votes.^[30][31]

References

1. "Hanuman Beniwal floats a new political party in Rajasthan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
2. "Independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal floats new party, calls for third front government in Rajasthan". Hindustan Times. 30 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
3. "BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal resigns from 3 parliamentary committees in support of farmers' protest". India Today. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
4. Centre, National Informatics. "Beniwal, Shri Hanuman - Digital Sansad". Digital Sansad. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
5. जाट महासभा के मंच से Hanuman Beniwal ने दूरी क्यों रखी? | Encounter | Rajasthan Election 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024 – via YouTube. I am a Jat (0:34)
6. "Hanuman Beniwal(Rashtriya Loktantrik Party):Constituency- NAGAUR(RAJASTHAN) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". www.myneta.info. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
7. Devarshi, Nakul (23 September 2019). "... तो हनुमान बेनीवाल छोटे भाई नारायण बेनीवाल को बनाएंगे उम्मीदवार! ये माना जा रहा कारण" [Narayan Beniwal Brother of Hanuman Beniwal contest khinvsar seat]. Patrika News (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
8. "Rajasthan assembly elections: These 10 hot seats have turned into high-stakes battles". The Economic Times. 21 November 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 6 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
9. "जानिए, MP हनुमान बेनीवाल के बारे में सब कुछ, गांव का एक लड़का संघर्ष के बूते कैसे पहुंचा देश की संसद तक". Patrika News (in Hindi). 2 June 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
10. "List of Winners:Rajasthan 2008 Election". www.myneta.info. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
11. "MLA Beniwal suspended from BJP". The Times of India. 7 December 2011. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
12. "List of Winners:Rajasthan 2013 Election". www.myneta.info. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
13. "जयपुर में 29 को होगी किसान हुंकार महारैली, विधायक हनुमान बेनीवाल करेंगे नई पार्टी का ऐलान". Dainik Bhaskar.
14. "List of Winners:Rajasthan 2018 Election". www.myneta.info. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
15. "Nagaur Lok sabha Election 2019 Result : बेनीवाल की शानदार जीत, जानिए नागौर में किसको मिले कितने वोट". Patrika News (in Hindi). 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
16. "Rajasthan by-polls: NDA's Narayan Beniwal takes lead in Khinvsar, Congress candidate Rita Chaudhary ahead in Mandawa". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
17. "Khinwsar assembly constituency election result 2023: Hanuman Beniwal wins, defeats BJP's Rewantram Danga by 2059 votes". The Times of India. 3 December 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
18. "बेनीवाल बोले-ज्योति ने हरियाणा जाकर कांग्रेस के लिए वोट मांगे:वोटों से हमनें मायरा भर दिया; 42 हजार 225 वोटों से मिर्धा को हराया". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
19. "In Rajasthan bypoll fray, meet kin of key leaders, across party lines". The Indian Express. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024. “ The wife of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal, Kanika Beniwal, 37, is contesting in the bypoll as a party candidate from Khinvsar, the seat held by the Beniwal family since its creation. Hanuman was elected first from the seat in 2008 on the BJP ticket, in 2013 as an Independent, and then in 2018 as a candidate of his own party RLP.”
20. Kulshrestha, Parul (24 November 2024). "'People wanted change': RLP loses only assembly seat it had stranglehold over in Rajasthan". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
21. Khan, Shoeb (24 November 2024). "RLP bastion caves in as Beniwal's wife loses in home turf". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 December 2024. Adding to Beniwal's troubles was his campaign rhetoric, which alienated key sections of the Jat community. His criticism of two influential Jat families, the Mirdhas and Madernas, sparked backlash from within the community.
22. "BJP ally RLP quits NDA over farm laws, Hanuman Beniwal claims Covid report fudged to keep him out of LS". India Today. 26 December 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
23. Mitul, Manas (29 October 2018). "Former BJP Leader Hanuman Beniwal Launches New Party to Take on Raje Govt". News18. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
24. Joseph, Joychen (6 April 2019). "'Very temperamental, never hesitates to take on the mighty'". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
25. Choudhary, Shyam (28 February 2019). "वीडियो : कनिका बेनीवाल ने कहा - लोगों का प्यार देखकर सारी शिकायतें दूर हो गईं" [Video : Special interview with Hanuman Beniwal's wife Kanika]. Patrika News (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
26. "Lok Sabha elections 2024 Result: बेटी दिव्या ने पापा की जीत पर नागौर की जनता का जताया आभार, कहा - जनता साथ हमेशा रहेंगे." Zee News (in Hindi). 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
27. पुरी, करण (23 April 2023). "वीर तेजाजी की प्रतिमा हटाए जाने पर भड़के सांसद हनुमान बेनीवाल, बोले- 'आस्था के साथ खिलवाड़...'". ABP Live (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
28. Bishnoi, Mahendra (5 September 2022). "तेजा दशमी पर सांसद बेनीवाल ने हेलीकॉप्टर से भरी सियासी उड़ान, जाट वोट बैंक साधने को एक दिन में 5 जिलों में की सभाएं". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
29. चतुर्वेदी, सम्ब्रत; लामरोड़, रामस्वरूप (25 October 2024). "कौन हैं कनिका? राजस्थान की राजनीति में कौन करवा रहा है एंट्री?". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024. 9 दिसंबर 2009 को हनुमान बेनीवाल और कनिका शादी के बंधन में बंधे थे। कनिका मूलरूप से राजस्थान के गंगानगर जिले के सरदारपुरा की रहने वाली है। उनकी गोत्र गोदारा है जिसे शादी के बाद उन्होंने बेनीवाल सरनेम लगाना शुरू किया। उनके पिता का नाम कृष्ण गोदारा है। कनिका की प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा गंगानगर जिले में ही हुई। बाद में उन्होंने उदयपुर के मोहनलाल सुखाड़िया विश्वविद्यालय से बीएससी की डिग्री प्राप्त की। हनुमान बेनीवाल और कनिका के एक बेटी और एक बेटा है। बेटी का नाम दिया है और बेटे का नाम आशुतोष है।
30. "खींवसर से हनुमान बेनीवाल की पत्नी चुनावी मैदान में:RLP प्रत्याशी कनिका बेनीवाल के नाम की घोषणा से त्रिकोणीय हुआ मुकाबला; आज भरेंगी पर्चा". Dainik Bhaskar. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
31. पांडेय, संतोष कुमार (24 November 2024). "खींवसर सीट पर 20 साल बाद BJP का कब्जा, क्या है जीत के पीछे की पूरी कहानी?". ABP Live (in Hindi). Retrieved 4 December 2024.

External links

• Hanuman Beniwal on Twitter
• Beniwal, Shri Hanuman - Digital Sansad