Barely two days ahead of the closing of the election campaign on April 17, two Union Ministers, Arjun Meghwal and Bhupendra Yadav, among four sitting MPs, are in a neck-and-neck contest in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 12 Rajasthan constituencies.

Polling for the second phase Lok Sabha elections is scheduled to be held on April 19.

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Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP who replaced sitting MP Balak Nath, is in a one-on-one contest with sitting Congress MLA Lalit Yadav, who belongs to Matsya region of the Alwar district and enjoys the support of the Yadav community, the party’s traditional voter bank.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is in a direct caste-based contest with his junior friend and former Congress Minister Govind Ram Meghwl from Bikaner parliamentary seat.

Young Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s blue-eyed boy, Murarli Lal Meena, former minister, from Dausa and Harish Meena, sitting MLA, from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Lok Sabha seats are vying with the BJP’s Kanhaiya Lal Meena, a new face, and Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria, sitting MP, respectively.

Sitting BJP MP Sumedhanand Sarswati is facing a tough campaign trail in Sikar constituency against INDIA bloc partner CPI-M’s Amraram, a farmer leader with the support of Congress and the comrades from the adjoining districts of Srigananagar and Haunumangar.

Similarly, the BJP is facing a bumpy road ahead in Churu as party MP Rahul Kanswa, who joined Congress after being denied ticket, is challenging Para-olympian Devendra Jhajharia. Former BJP minister Rajendra Rathore, who belongs to Churu district, lost the assembly polls last year and was not considered a candidate for this seat will have a decisive role on this very seat.

BJP’s Jaipur-city seat is not going to be a walkover for Manju Sharma, daughter of former BJP Minister Bhanwar Lal Sharma, as the former Congress minister and strong young leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas is doing the rounds of the walled city’s narrow lanes holding public meetings and seeking votes from the electorate with folded hands.

BJP’s three new faces, Priyanka Bailan from Sriganganagar, Manju Sharma from Jaipur City, and Indudevi Jatav from Karauli-Dholpur are also in the poll fray. Congress candidate Sanjana Jatav is pitted against BJP’s Ram Swaroop Koli from Bharatpur seat.

There are 114 contestants in the fray in the first phase elections from Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur-rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Tonk-Sawaimadhopur.

The BJP is contesting on all 12 seats while the Congress is in alliance with the CPI-M on the Sikar seat, and the BSP on all 12 seats. Besides, 24 other political parties’ candidates are among the contestants. Altogether 102 male and 12 females are also trying their poll fortune in the first phase.