Representative image of BJP supporters waving a party flag. Representative image.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Jaipur: BJP declared the names of seven candidates for Rajasthan, reposing faith in five new faces and dropping three incumbent MPs.
BJP had already declared the names of 15 candidates. With seven names, the total has gone upto 22. Now only three seats remain to be declared.
BJP dropped MPs Nihalchand Meghwal from Sriganganagar, Ram Charan Bohra from Jaipur and Narendra Kumar Khichar from Jhunjhunu.
BJP has repeated two incumbent MPs this time, Bhagirath Choudhary from Ajmer and Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuriya from Tonk Sawai Madhopur. Bhagirath Choudhary had lost the Kishangarh seat in the Assembly polls held in 2023. Despite his loss, he has been repeated by BJP.
It was being assumed that BJP would not give tickets to those MPs and MLAs who were fielded in the Assembly polls and lost. But it seems the party has eased its policy with regard to Bhagirath Choudhary and also Shubkaran Choudhary, who lost the Udaipurwati Assembly seat. Shubhkaran Choudhary has replaced incumbent Jhunjhunu MP Narendra Kumar Khichar.
Jaipur, which is a Brahmin-dominated constituency, has a woman candidate this time, Manju Sharma.
Rajmata Gayatri Devi from the Jaipur royal family was the only other woman candidate from Jaipur, who fought under the Swantantra Party and won. She first won in 1962 with one of the largest margins in the history of Indian elections. She continued to hold the seat in 1967 and 1971.
Manju Sharma is a new face but she has been active in the party for years, being the prabhari, Rajasthan Mahila Pravasi Abhiyan, Jaipur Sambhag. She was also the former state general secretary, Mahila Morcha.
BJP has also given tickets to three women candidates including Manju Sharma. In Ganganagar, a SC reserved constituency, incumbent MP Nihalchand Meghwal has been replaced with Priyanka Balan Meghwal, who has been former organisational secretary and chairman Nagar Parishad Anoopgarh.
BJP has gone for Mahima Vishweshwar Singh from Rajsamand, another royal and a Rajput from Udaipur. Rajsamand was earlier represented by Jaipur royal Diya Kumari, who is now the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan. Although BJP has a strict policy of not giving tickets to people from the same family, it has eased its rules in case of Mewar region - by giving it to Mahima Singh. Earlier Vishwaraj Singh from the Udaipur royal family won from Nathdwara in the Assembly polls. The royal family is still held in high esteem in Rajasthan’s Mewar region.
Another royal scion and Rajput Rao Rajendra Singh has been fielded from Jaipur Rural, a constituency vacated by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is now a minister in Rajasthan. Rao Rajendra Singh, who is one of the most decent and polished politicians, had held the post of deputy speaker in the Vidhan Sabha earlier. He lost the Assembly polls in 2018 and was not given a ticket in the 2023 Assembly.
BJP has been winning all the 25 seats in the past two elections in 2014 and 2019. In 2019, Hanuman Beniwal of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party won the Nagaur seat with BJP support.