CHOP AND CHANGE: MINISTERS DROPPED BYTHE BJP IN THE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

Rajasthan: Five serving ministers — Rajkumar Rinwa, Babulal Verma, Jeetmal Khant, Surendra Goyal and Dhan Singh Rawat — have been dropped from the list of candidates proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The list of candidates bears a strong imprint of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Food and civil supplies minister Babulal Verma’s ticket was cut from Keshoraipatan. Minister of state for Panchayati Raj Dhan Singh Rawat was axed from Banswara. Rinwa, MLA from Ratangarh, was replaced by Abhinesh Maharishi who joined the BJP only a few days ago. Water resources minister Surendra Goyal has quit the BJP after he was dropped. Harish Meena, a top retired police officer who was Lok Sabha MP has resigned from the BJP and has joined the Congress but it is not yet clear where he will contest from.

Madhya Pradesh: Maya Singh, who had the

Urban Development portfolio and represents Gwalior (East) in the Vidhan Sabha has been axed. Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar, has been replaced by his son Mudit from his seat, Sanchi; and Minister of State for Water Resources Harsh Singh, who has been unwell for a long time, have been dropped. Singh’s son Vikram will contest on the BJP ticket from his Rampur Baghelan constituency.

Chhattisgarh: 14 sitting MLAs and one minister were dropped. Child and woman welfare minister, Ramshila Sahu, who was elected from Durg rural in 2013 has been replaced by Jageshwar Sahu . Sitting BJP member from Kanker to Lok Sabha, Vikram Usendi is contesting the assembly elections. Yudhvir Singh Judeo, son of the late BJP leader Dilip Singh Judeo who was elected from Chandrapur has been replaced by his wife, Sanyogita Devi.