Jaipur: With the announcement of the election date in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its initial list of 41 candidates. This candidate lineup has raised eyebrows, as it includes seven sitting MPs, including Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena.
The influence of the party's central leadership is evident in this inaugural candidate list. Notably, Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, a close associate of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, is conspicuously absent from the list. Additionally, the absence of Narpat Singh Rajvi, a former minister and the son-in-law of former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, comes as a surprise.
Interestingly, despite facing strong opposition from party workers, the BJP has nominated a retired IAS officer, CM Meena, as a candidate.
It's worth noting that out of these 41 candidates, 39 are contesting in constituencies that the BJP lost in the previous assembly elections in 2018.
MPs fielded to contest assembly polls
Rajya Sabha MP Kirodilal Meena from Sawai Madhopur, MP (Alwar) Balaknath from Tijara (Alwar), MP (Ajmer) Bhagirath Chaudhary from Kishangarh (Ajmer), MP (Jhunjhunu) Narendra Kumar from Mandawa (Jhunjhunu), MP (Rajsamand) Diya Kumari to Vidyadhar Nagar (Jaipur), MP (Jaipur Rural) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to Jhotwara(Jaipur), MP (Jalor-Sirohi) Devji Patel has been fielded from Sanchor.
New faces on 29 seats
The BJP has introduced fresh candidates for 29 out of the 41 assembly seats. Notable among the surprising names in the party's initial candidate list are Diya Kumari and Kirori Lal Meena. Diya Kumari, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur, presently serves as an MP representing Rajsamand. Surprisingly, the party has nominated her as a candidate from the Vidyadhar Nagar constituency.
In a similar unexpected move, the BJP has included Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena as a candidate. This choice raises eyebrows because the BJP needs to maintain its numerical strength in the Rajya Sabha.
No alliance in Rajasthan
In Maharashtra, the BJP shares power with Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), but no such alliance has been formed in Rajasthan. In the Udaipurwati constituency, the BJP has nominated Shubhakaran Chaudhary to contest against the former minister Rajendra Singh Gudha, who was recently inducted into Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).
Additionally, the BJP has fielded Vijay Bainsla, the son of Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla, who was a prominent leader of the Gurjar movement, as one of their candidates.
