New Delhi: Ahead of the five-state electoral battle next month, BJP released its second list of candidates for the Rajasthan with former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to recontest from Jhalrapatan, a seat she has been winning since 2003.
The second list has 83 candidates on it including prominent names like former Rajasthan BJP president Satish Punia, who has been fielded from Amber. The second list did not have any MP in it unlike the first one which had seven. Fifty incumbent MLAs have been given tickets while nine have not been renominated by the BJP.
Also, against the expectations that the BJP might field some more Union ministers to increase its chances in Rajasthan, no such person figured in the second list. Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore, will contest elections from the Taranagar constituency. Former MP Jyoti Mirdha, who joined the BJP last month after leaving Congress, has been fielded from the Nagaur constituency.
The saffron party has 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 BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, renomination from his Vidhyadhar Nagar seat. With this, the BJP has so far named 124 candidates for the polls to the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly. Some of the supporters of Raje, including two former state ministers, have also been given tickets.
The Rajasthan assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 25. The counting of votes will be done on December 3, along with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana. On October 9, BJP released its first list of the 41 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly elections. The BJP is seeking to oust Congress from power in Rajasthan. Congress won 99 seats in the 2018 elections in the 200-member state assembly. BJP won 73 seats.
Also read: Congress release first list of candidates in Rajasthan, CM Gehlot and Pilot included
