BJP readies for Ram-Rajya in Jaipur

The BJP declared names of 21 candidates from Rajasthan in its fifth list of candidates released on Wednesday. Of these 21 candidates, three are sitting MLAs while three are MPs and five are party office bearers.

Taking everyone by surprise the party has fielded former Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore from Jaipur Rural seat. Singh will face stiff competition from Congress candidate CP Joshi, who is the sitting MP from Bhilwara and has shifted his constituency.

From Jaipur (city) seat BJP has fielded Ramcharan Bohra who is also party’s state general secretary. Bohra will lock horns with sitting Congress MP Mahesh Joshi. It may be recalled that Bohra was denied party ticket in the Assembly elections. On Jaipur seat several big names like present Sanganer MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari, state Mahila Morcha chief Suman Sharma, deputy mayor Manish Pareek were being seen as top contenders.

BJP decided to place its bets on former DGP Harish Meena, who joined the just a day ago, from Dausa constituency. Congress is yet to declare its candidate from this seat. Sources confirmed that Meena’s request for voluntary retirement has been approved by the state government.

From Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat the party has fielded Sukhbeer Singh Jaunpuria who will oppose Congress party’s cricketer-turned-politician Mohammad Azharuddin. Jaunpuria is a strong Gurjar leader who had contested the previous Parliamentary election as an Independent from Jaipur Rural and was able to get more than 1.2 lakh votes. Gurjar and Minority are the two major castes in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency and both the BJP and Congress have fielded candidates from these castes.   

For Alwar and Sikar constituencies the BJP has fielded      

Mahent Chandnath and Swami Sumedanand, who have large number of followers, in their respective Yadav and Jat community. Mahant Chandnath will face sitting Congress MP Bhanwar Jitendra Singh while from Sikar Sumedanand will take on PS Jat of the Congress.

From Bikaner the party has retained sitting MP Arjun Meghwal who is pitched against Shankar Pannu who was fielded by the Congress after conducting a referendum.

CR Chaudhary former RPSC chairman will contest the elections from Nagaur Parliamentary seat and will face sitting MP Jyoti Mirdha.

Sitting MLA Om Birla is another surprise entry from Kota seat and will take on sitting Congress MP Ijyaraj Singh, who belongs to the Kota royal family. From Jhunjhunu seat the BJP has fielded sitting MLA Santosh Ahlawat who will take on Congress candidate Rajbala Ola.

From Churu seat BJP has fielded Rahul Kaswan who is son of sitting BJP MP Ram Singh Kaswan. Initially Ram Singh was demanding the party ticket but due to differences with MLA Rajendra Rathore on this seat, the party preferred to field his son Rahul who will face Pratap Punia of Congress.  

The party has fielded Nihalchand Meghwal from Ganganagar, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur Arjun Lal Meena from Udaipur, Rama Shankar Ninama from Banswara, Dushyant Singh son of chief minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalawar, Devji Patel from Jalore Hariom Singh Rathore from Rajasmand Bahadur Kolai from Bharatpur CP Joshi from Chittorgarh and from Bhilwara the party has given ticket to Subash Bahedia.

The party is yet to declare names from Ajmer, Pali, Barmer and Karauli-Dholpur seats.

Outsiders get the nod. Will they be accepted?
Rajyavardhan Rathore wanted Chittor, but was given Jaipur (rural), Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuriya got Tonk-S Madhopur when he wanted Jaipur (R) & Swami Sumedhanand has been fielded from Sikar. BJP unit has protested the move  

6 seats that’re a tough call for both the parties
Congress is undecided on Bharatpur and Dausa. BJP hasn’t named its candidates in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Barmer, Pali and Ajmer. Barmer is stuck between Jaswant Singh & Sonram, Ajmer because BJP is looking for candidate against Pilot

Jats and Rajputs walk away with lion’s share
In the tickets distributed by the BJP on 21 seats of Rajasthan, Jats and Rajputs have walked away with the lion’s share of tickets. The party gave tickets to four Rajput candidates and 4 Jats and 2 each from Brahmin and Vaishya communities

BJP’s U-turn on not giving ticket to MLAs
Taking a U-turn from its earlier announcement of not giving party ticket to the sitting MLAs and in-charges of Lok Sabha constituencies, the ruling BJP has given tickets to three sitting legislators for the upcoming elections