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]
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 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]
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]
^"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.”
^Khan, Shoeb (24 November 2024). "RLP bastion caves in as Beniwal's wife loses in home turf". The Times of India. ISSN0971-8257. 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.
^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।
