BJP repeats 14 MPS in first list, lone woman MP out

Prakash Javadekar says the second list of candidates for nine seats will be declared soon

JAIPUR: The BJP has shown confidence in its sitting MPS from Rajasthan with 14 of them being repeated in the first list of 16 candidates declared. The lone woman MP from Jhunjhunu was axed and a couple of new faces were brought in.

On the remaining nine seats no consensus could be arrived at as there are multiple candidates and factors to take into account. Candidates for Nagaur, Barmer, Bharatpur, Karauli-dholpur, Dausa, Rajsamand, Banswara, Churu and Alwar seats are still to be declared.

Rajasthan election incharge Prakash Javadekar said the second list would be declared soon. He said people are with the BJP and that BJP would win all 25 seats. “The main question in this election is which leader can ensure the country’s security and lead it on the path of development and the only answer is prime minister Narendra Modi,” he told reporters on Friday.

The BJP had won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2014. Party sources say that after the Balakot air strikes, the party is confident of a strong showing in the state again and has not tinkered much with the candidates.

Four of the five ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet have been repeated. Rajyavardhan Rathore from Jaipur Rural, Gajendra Shekhawat from Jodhpur, Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner and PP Choudhury from Pali have been fielded again.

Union minister CR Chaudhary’s name did not figure in the first list. Party sources say he is facing strong opposition in Nagaur from local BJP leaders and MLAS as he did not help them during the assembly polls. The Congress is likely to field former MP Jyoti Mirdha from Nagaur; she is facing opposition from local Congress leaders. It remains to be seen how Rashtriya Loktantrik Party chief Hanuman Beniwal too will be a factor on the Nagaur seat. Santosh Ahlawat, BJP’S lone woman MP in Rajsthan, lost out from Jhunjhunu due to opposition at the local level. MLAS complained that she had not helped them during the assembly elections. The BJP has fielded Mandawa MLA Narendra Kumar Khinchad who has a strong profile. His name had come up in the survey carried out by the party and Churu MLA Rajendra Rathore too was backing him.

Ahlawat, whose ticket has been cut, said she would abide by the party decision. Asked if injustice had been done against her, she said, “There was no opposition against me. People are with me and I also did a lot of work in my area. I should have got the ticket. I would have won by a huge margin.” But she added that she was not angry. “I will abide by the party decision and work for the party candidate in the election,” she said.

The Barmer seat could once again turn out to be an interesting contest. Congress is likely to field Manvendra Singh, former BJP MP and MLA who has a strong base here.

PARTY SOURCES SAY THAT AFTER THE BALAKOT AIR STRIKES, THE PARTY IS CONFIDENT OF A STRONG SHOWING IN THE STATE AGAIN