Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, two Union ministers Kailash Choudhary, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and state BJP President CP Joshi are among 218 contestants who filed their nomination papers in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in 13 constituencies of Rajasthan.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on Friday and the withdrawal will be allowed till April 8 at 5 pm.
Congress’ former Speaker C P Joshi in the Bhilwara, Vaibhav Gehlot, son of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Jalore LS seat, and Hanuman Beniwal, INDIA’s alliance partner of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, on Nagaur seat are vying for the polls.
BJP’s Birla is in a keen contest on Kota-Bundi seat with Prahalad Gunjal, former BJP MLA who left the party and joined the Congress last month.
Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat, two times MP in 2019 and 2024, is facing the Congress’ Karan Singh Uchiyarda on the Jodhpur LS seat.
Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and whose name took a hype during nomination of Rajasthan Chief Minister, will be in a triangular contest against Congress’ Umedaram Beniwal, and an Independent MLA Raveendra Singh Bhati.
Two sitting BJP MPs, P P Choudhary, a lawyer in SC, is fielded against Congress’ Sageeta Beniwal in the Pali LS constituency and Bhagirath Choudhary fielded in the Ajmer LS seat against Congress’ Ram Chandra Choudhary, a local leader. The State BJP President CP Joshi is vying for the second term on the Chittorgarh seat against Congress’ Udailal Anjana, former Rajasthan Minister.
Former BJP Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s son Dushyant Singh filed his papers for the fifth time on the Jhalawar-Baran Ls seat against Congress’ Urmila Jain, wife of former Congress Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya.
The second phase poll process is underway for 13 seats going to polls on April 26. These 13 LS seats are: Ajmer, Nagaur, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Banswara, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran.