New Delhi:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Urban Development Minister Shanti Dhariwal and other leaders filed nomination papers on Monday. At the same time, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress rebels also filed nomination papers as independent candidates. Assembly elections in the state will be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. BJP rebel Chandrabhan Singh Akya from Chittorgarh, Rajpal Singh Shekhawat from Jaipur’s Jotawada, Yunus Khan from Didwana, Kailash Meghwal from Shahpura and Ravindra Singh Bhati from Shiv assembly constituency filed nomination papers as independent candidates.
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Ravindra Bhatti, former student union president of Jodhpur’s Jai Narayan Vyas University, had recently joined the BJP and was hoping for a party ticket from Shiv constituency in Barmer, but was denied a ticket, which led to him later filing as an independent. On the candidate not getting a ticket from Jaipur’s Jotwara seat, Rajpal Singh said that the workers are not happy with the party’s official candidate.
Jaipur (Rural) MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is contesting from Jotwada seat. Similarly, in Chittorgarh, the BJP canceled the ticket of sitting MLA Chandrabhan Singh Akya and fielded Narpat Singh Rajvi from there, causing Akya to become a rebel. Akya said that he waited till the last minute for the party to change its decision and when there was no change, he filed his nomination form from Chittorgarh seat.
Former minister Younus Khan, who is considered close to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, filed nomination to contest as an independent candidate from Nagaur’s Didwa seat. The party did not give him ticket. He contested the 2018 assembly elections from Tonk seat and lost against Sachin Pilot. Apart from this, former Legislative Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal filed his candidature from Shahpura (Bhilwara). He was not even given a ticket. Some time ago, Meghwal accused Union Minister Arjun Meghwal of corruption, after which he was issued a notice for indiscipline.
Sports Minister Ashok Chandana filed nomination as Congress candidate from Bundi’s Hindoli assembly seat, where state Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Punjab Pradesh Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja addressed a large public meeting in support of him. In Jodhpur Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot filed nomination, in Kota Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal filed nomination.
Dhariwal is contesting from Kota North seat while Gehlot is contesting from Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur. Dhariwal will face BJP’s Prahlad Gunjal on the Kota North seat. Talking to the media after the nomination, Dhariwal claimed that the benefits of the state government’s welfare schemes are reaching every household and one crore four lakh families are getting gas cylinders for Rs 500. Meanwhile, Prahalat Gunjal also targeted Dhariwal and said that every Congressman called Dhariwal the most corrupt in Rajasthan.
Congress rebels Shiv Prasad Meena, Gaurav Sharma, Rupesh Sharma, Rakesh Boyat filed their nominations from separate seats of Kota and Bundi. Former BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat also filed as an independent candidate after BJP gave ticket to Kalpana Devi in Ladpura, Kota.
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