CONGRESS PITS MANVENDRA AGAINST RAJE

JAIPUR: The Congress on Saturday released its second list of 32 candidates, pitting former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh’s son and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Manvendra Singh against chief minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan assembly constituency and reviving the old rivalry between the two families.

Manvendra quit the BJP on September 22 stating ‘kamal ka phool, hamari bhool,’ and joined the Congress. His father, who was minister in the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, contested as an independent from Barmer in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections after the BJP denied him a ticket apparently at Raje’s behest. He lost.

Raje, a legislator from Jhalrapatan since 2003, responded to Manvendra’s candidature by saying that the Congress did not have courage to field its own worker and had therefore chosen a BJP turncoat. “The Congress fielded a candidate (Manvendra Singh) against me whom they were not willing to give ticket from his own seat,” she said, after filing nomination for her fourth straight contest from Jhalrapatan. She defeated Rama Pilot (mother of Sachin Pilot) in 2003. Before becoming MLA, Raje was MP for five terms from Jhalawar. Manvendra accepted that contesting from Jhalrapatan would be a “big challenge” as he was shifting base from eastern Rajasthan to west. “I will abide by the party decision,” he said.