Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, CP Joshi, Govind Singh Dotasara, Dr. B D Kalla, Vasundhara Raje, and Rajendra Rathore are among the 1,875 contestants left in the fray after the completion of the withdrawal process yesterday for the assembly polls in the state scheduled on November 25.
Eight sitting MPs, seven from the BJP and one from the RLP, are also in the fray.
Advertisement
Besides the two major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, BSP’s 188 candidates, AAP’s 87, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party’s (RLP) 77, Bhartiya Tribal Party’s (BTP) five and CPI-M’s 17 contestants are contesting from 200 assembly seats.
Congress’ Ashok Gehlot is contesting from Jodhpur’s Sardarpura seat Dr Joshi from Nathdwara, Pilot from Tonk, Kalla from Bikaner-west, and Dotasara from Laxmangarh seat.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena is contending from Sawaimadhopur assembly seat, Lok Sabha MP of Alwar Balaknath from Tizara assembly constituency, party’s Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary from Kishangarh seat, Jhunjhjunu MP Narendra Kumar from Mandawa seat, Rajsamand’s MP Diyakumari to contest from Vidhyadhar Nagar in Jaipur city, Jaipur-Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will contest from Jhotwara in Jaipur, and Jalore-Sirohi MP Devji Patel from Sanchore.
Raje, former BJP chief minister from Jhalrapatan, and Rajendra Rathore, leader of the Opposition, are contesting from Taranagar in Churu district.
RLP’s founder member, a Lok Sabha MP, Hanuman Beniwal is trying his luck from the Kheenvsar seat.
The Congress’ expelled minister Rajendra Singh Gudha, who leaked the Red Diary in the assembly, is fielded by the Shiv Sena (Shinde group) from his previous constituency of Udaipurwati where the Congress and the BJP fielded their strong candidates.
In the Jat heartland of Nagaur, Congress’ Harendra Mirdha will contest against her niece Jyoti Mirdha (who recently joined the BJP after quitting the Congress) from the Nagaur constituency.
The Harayna-based Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala fielded Rita Singh against her ex-husband and outgoing Congress MLA Virendra Singh from Danta Ramgarh seat.
In Dholpur, Congress’ Shobharani Kushwah (who joined the Congress recently) will contest against her brother-in-law Shiv Charan Kushwah of BJP.
The BJP, which has been vocal against ‘Pariwarvad’ (nepotism) in politics, has given a chance to 20 contestants from different political families, while the Congress, which has often been accused of being dynastic, fielded 24 such candidates in the polls.
Despite all their efforts senior leaders of both ruling Congress and the Opposition failed to persuade rebel candidates to withdraw their nomination papers. A total of 22 rebel contestants of the BJP and 16 of the Congress will give triangular contests to the official party candidates on 38 constituencies.
The polling will be held on November 25 from 7 am to 5 pm, and votes will be counted on December 3.
