Why 'Tiger' Raja Singh Keeps Winning

Thakur Raja Singh, the lone Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Hyderabad, is not new to controversy.

He faces a wide range of accusations from political parties across the country — from breaking into a house to inciting hate speech against minorities and even attempted murder.

For any politician, a criminal case means that he is feared. Not for Singh. Despite having more than 75 criminal cases against him, Singh is loved in Goshamahal — the assembly constituency in Old City Hyderabad, from where he is elected.

A few months ago, he was suspended by the BJP for controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad. Singh later said he may even quit politics, but will not betray the Hindu cause.

Less than two weeks ago, his suspension was revoked.

Naturally, anyone with extreme views about Singh — good or bad — might ask just one question — How?

Raja's Roots

Dhoolpet, a neighbourhood in Goshamahal, is where Singh spent most of his time early in life, including his childhood and youth.

From a young age, his association with Hindu organisations, specifically Hindu Vahini, shaped his ideology.

He is from the Lodha community. Goshamahal has a sizable migrant Hindu population, especially from states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Lodha, Bundeli Rajput, and Gangaputra communities are present in the area. This is one of the reasons why Singh is fluent in Hindi and Urdu, but does not speak Telugu as fluently — one of the reasons why he is not able to become a pan-Telangana leader.

In Dhoolpet, there are about 10,000 idol makers. Residents of Hyderabad say that the majority of the Ganesha idols are made in Dhoolpet.

Singh's affidavit mentions that his closest family members are involved in idol making. Since the profession has faced a lot of challenges in sustaining the trade, they rely on legislators like Singh to represent their cause in the assembly.

According to Raka Sudhakar Rao, a senior journalist from Hyderabad, the Lodhas are Kshatriyas, a warrior clan from the Budelkhand region.

After the downfall of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in Golkonda, it is said that the Lodhas moved to the region. Traditionally, they fought alongside the Mughal army and provided logistical support to them.

"In Hyderabad alone, their presence can be traced back to three or four centuries ago," Rao says.

Today, the area is notorious for bootlegged liquor and ganja. While it has retained its traditional essence, it has a dark underbelly.

His Politics

According to Rao, Singh started gaining attention because of his active involvement in fighting against forced conversions, illegal slaughter of cattle, and love jihad.

Since Dhoolpet and Goshamahal are sensitive areas, they provide the perfect playground for Hindutva politics as practised by Singh.

He has an army of loyalists who travel wherever he goes, and provide protection to him and his family.

According to Rao, Singh's image has been cultivated over a period of 10-15 years. During this time, he has addressed Hindu gatherings and political rallies across India, including in states like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

"When I was translating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech a few years ago in Telangana, I was also the one calling upon dignitaries to address the gathering.

"The loudest cheer from the crowd came when I invited Raja Singh to the dais to speak to the audience. I think on that occasion, many of us understood how popular he is," says Rao.

Singh happens to be the only MLA from the Lodha community in south India. As a result, the migrant population feels safe with him around, people in Hyderabad say.

This is one of the reasons why he has an unshakable vote bank of 30,000 or more Hindus in Goshamahal.

Singh began his career in politics as a municipal councillor from Mangalhat in 2009. He was with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) back then.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election in 2014, he joined the BJP and also won the Goshamahal seat, as the newly formed Telangana state had its first set of polls alongside the national elections.

Even in TDP, it is said that he advocated for Hindu causes. When he won his election, he was one among the five BJP MLAs in the first legislative assembly of Telangana.

As of 2023, Singh is a two-time MLA representing Goshamahal assembly constituency.

This is quite unique, since the Old City is considered to be a stronghold of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

While MIM bagged seven out of eight seats in the Old City, the lone BJP MLA to be elected from the region was Raja Singh.

What The Future Holds For Him

Political observers in Hyderabad believe that the actual impact Singh has against the AIMIM, electorally speaking, is zero.

Even today, despite all the verbal spats with the Owaisi brothers, they continue to rule the Old City with an iron fist.

But Singh is certainly popular among the Hindu migrant communities in Telangana.

His popularity transcends beyond the borders of Telangana; he has a fan base in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, where hundreds of people gather to listen to his speeches.

What's more interesting is that Uma Bharti, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, spent a lot of her childhood in Dhoolpet.

She happens to be a prominent leader among the Lodha community in the state. According to Rao, Vijaya Raje Scindia, Rajmata of Gwalior, took a liking to her and started mentoring her as a child prodigy.

Even at an early age, Bharti was a sensation in Madhya Pradesh. Her satsangs were attended by huge crowds.

On the advice of senior pracharaks from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), she was packed off to Dhoolpet to spend some time there and decide on the path she wants to take in life.

She eventually returned to the same path.

Besides Bharti, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh, was also a Lodha. The community in Hyderabad is very well-organised. It has panchayats that govern religious affairs.

Almost every Lodha, according to Rao, is associated with one or the other panchayat. To his community, Singh sees himself as a voice in politics.

This is one of the reasons why he never joined any other political party, despite their attempts to woo him.

"He would rather live and die with the BJP and remain loyal to the Hindu samaj than betray the community for greater political gains," says Rao.

On 4 November 2023, Singh will file his nomination to fight once again from the Goshamahal constituency.

It looks like he will win yet again.