Rajkumar Roat, 32, a two-time MLA and founder of the Bharat Adivasi Party, is the INDIA bloc candidate in Rajasthan’s tribal-dominated Banswara constituency. For him, it’s a fight to protect “jal, jangal and jameen” or water, forest and land.

Roat will take on BJP candidate Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, a four-time MLA who switched from the Congress to the BJP in February. And, despite the BAP’s alliance with the Congress, Roat is contesting against an incumbent Congress member, Arvind Sita Damor, who had filed a nomination from the seat. Damor is now being accused by party workers of being hand in glove with Malviya. 

In a conversation with Newslaundry, Roat said the central government had “given the country in the hands of industrialists” and wants to evict tribal people from their land in the name of building roads and for wildlife projects.  

Roat dismissed that Damor’s decision to contest the seat will hurt him. “Congress voters, its office-bearers and high command are against Arvind Damor. Somewhere, he is working on the directives of the BJP. He is trying to confuse the public. But the public knows it, and [we] expect a good result.” 

He also spoke about his campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the BJP’s “dirty politics” in nomination filing. 

Watch.