“Cooperated in the legal process”, “organised eye camps”, “organised Tiranga Yatra, blood donation camps”, and “peaceful character in prison”. These are some of the reasons being cited in a bid to get Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade to commute the prison sentence of former BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena, The Indian Express has learnt.
The Anta (Baran) MLA’s Assembly membership was terminated in May after he did not get relief from the High Court, while the Supreme Court too dismissed his petition in a 2005 case in which he threatened a government official with a revolver. A delay in the termination of his membership had led to a political slugfest between the BJP and the Congress, with the latter alleging partisanship by Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani. An influential leader in the Jhalawar region, Meena is considered close to former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
In June, Meena was learnt to have moved the Governor’s office for a pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution. Now, according to sources, multiple grounds are being cited to seek commutation of his sentence.
Sources said the first ground was that after the Supreme Court rejected his special leave petition, Meena “surrendered and cooperated with the legal process and legal institutions”.
Second, he has “organised social works like eye camps, Ayushman health fair, free surgical camps, Tiranga Yatra, Ghar Ghar Tiranga, voluntary blood donation camps, and free marriage ceremony for all castes, etc.”
Third, “the trial in this case has taken a lot of time and in view of the peaceful character he has maintained while in prison, it would be appropriate to commute the sentence”.
Sources said the Additional Advocate General’s opinion was also sought in the case, who submitted that the Governor would decide the mercy petition only on the recommendation of the state Cabinet. However, even if the sentence is reduced or Meena is pardoned, he will remain disqualified from the Assembly membership.
Congress leaders said on one hand, the BJP government at the Centre introduced the “excessive” Constitution 130th Amendment Bill, 2025, to forcibly remove sitting ministers while, on the other, the BJP government in the state was leaving no stone unturned to save Meena who has had 27 cases filed against him, including attempt to murder, rioting, dacoity, extortion, and outraging modesty. Meena’s lawyers, however, had told The Indian Express that he had been acquitted in almost all these cases.
While Meena, a two-time MLA, may not be able to contest following the commutation, he holds considerable influence in Anta and may be able to influence the poll. With his Assembly membership terminated on May 23, the bypoll needs to be held within six months and hence a decision on his commutation is expected before the announcement of the by-election.
Terming it a “serious issue, a blow to the judicial system and a bad precedent” in his letter to Governor Bagade, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said the process to remove Meena was conducted in accordance with judicial orders and constitutional provisions. “However, the current BJP government is attempting to pardon Mr Meena by abusing Article 161. It has been learned that the Home Department has completed the proceedings and sent the file to your office.”
“His public reputation is also not good. Would it be appropriate to pardon such a person? If convicted legislators are granted reprieves under political pressure, it would not only damage the reputation of the judiciary but also undermine public faith in democracy and the rule of law,” Jully said.
Meena was found guilty under IPC Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant), 506 (criminal intimidation), and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. He was sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment for the last two charges and two years for IPC 353, to be served concurrently. As per Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act of 1951, conviction of a lawmaker for an offence with a two-year sentence or more leads to disqualification from the House. Additionally, the person cannot contest for six years after the date of completion of their sentence.
The case in which Meena was disqualified pertains to February 2005, when Ramniwas Mehta, then a RAS (Rajasthan Administrative Service) officer and posted as Sub Divisional Officer, Aklera, was informed of a group of people in Manohar Thana, Jhalawar, blocking the road to demand re-poll in a sarpanch election. When Mehta and others reached the spot, Meena, who arrived with six to seven men in a vehicle about half an hour later, took out a revolver and allegedly aimed it at Mehta’s head, asking him to “announce a re-poll within two minutes or get killed”.
Mehta, as per records, told Meena that, “a revolver can kill but not enforce a re-poll.” Mehta, promoted as an IAS officer, is currently posted as Secretary, Rajasthan Public Service Commission.