BI News,New Delhi : Rajasthan is in full electioneering mood and mode. In the run up for the November 25 polls to the 200-member assembly, the Congress and BJP on Saturday named more candidates for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections. While the BJP has fielded the state’s former chief minister Vasundhara Raje from her traditional Jhalrapatan seat, the Congress fielded Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura and his former deputy Sachin Pilot from Tonk.
BJP’s list
The BJP also decided to field Narpat Singh Rajvi from Chittorgarh after its earlier decision to deny the five-term MLA, who is the son-in-law of its stalwart leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, renomination from his Vidhyadhar Nagar seat. This triggered a backlash from a section of party workers. The BJP leadership’s about-turn on his candidature is being seen as a damage-control exercise after Rajvi reacted angrily and cited his family legacy to hit out at the party, it said. The names also include Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, a descendent of Maharana Pratap Singh, who joined the party recently. He has been fielded from Nathdwara, which was won by veteran in 2018.
Former state BJP president Satish Poonia has been fielded from Amber, the seat he currently represents in the Rajasthan assembly. The name of its leader in the assembly Rajendra Rathore also figured in the list. With the second list, the BJP has so far named 124 candidates for the November 25 polls to the 200-member assembly.
- Both the parties have released their candidate lists for Rajasthan assembly polls
- BJP has so far named 124 candidates for the November 25 polls to the 200-member assembly
- Meanwhile, the Congress released its first list of 33 candidates.
Congress’s list
The Congress released its first list of 33 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly elections, fielding Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura and his former deputy Sachin Pilot from Tonk. Speaker C P Joshi will contest from his Nathdwara assembly seat, while the party’s state unit president, Govind Singh Dotasra, has been fielded from Lachhmangarh. Minister Harish Chaudhary will contest from Baytoo and Mamata Bhupesh from the Sikrai-SC seat.
The Congress is yet to declare candidates on a majority seats as its Central Election Committee will meet on Sunday to finalise names for more seats. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot refuted reports about the delay in ticket distribution to his rift with party leader Sachin Pilot. He said there were no differences within the Rajasthan unit of the Congress. He claimed he had not opposed the candidature of even one candidate (of the Pilot camp) and was taking decisions in favour of Sachin Pilot’s supporters.
“The pain of the opposition regarding the selection process is that why are there no differences in the Congress party. I am sure you are talking about Sachin Pilot. All the decisions are being made by everyone’s opinion. I am participating in the decisions of Sachin Pilot’s supporters, in their favour. Only the BJP is concerned with smooth decision-making,” he said.
He added:”We are all united. I’ve not opposed any single candidate (of Pilot side)”. “After Sonia Gandhi became (Congress) president, the first decision she took was to make me the chief minister. I was not the CM candidate but she selected me as the CM…I want to leave the CM post but this post is not leaving me and it won’t leave me also,” he said.
The chief ministerial post was the main bone of contention between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot in 2018. The tussle over the post and its fallout precipitated the unsuccessful 2020 rebellion, which ended with Pilot losing his posts of deputy chief minister and state Congress president.
The Congress held several round of lengthy meetings to finalise the final list of candidates for the November 25 elections. Reliable sources said the delay was the consequence of differences in the party over denial of tickets to some ministers. Gehlot is reportedly keen on rewarding his ministers for supporting him during the rebellion. He also wants to give tickets to the six BSP MLAs who joined the Congress in 2019. The party leadership, however, wishes to snub those who have small chances of winning the polls.
