Congress pits BJP veteran Jaswant Singh’s son against Vasundhara Raje

The Congress released on Saturday a second list of 32 candidates for the assembly elections in Rajasthan, fielding former BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan constituency.

The second list was released by the Congress general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Mukul Wasnik in New Delhi.

The opposition party had declared 152 candidates in the first list on Thursday night.

Manvendra Singh, a former BJP MLA from Sheo, quit the saffron party in September to join the Congress.

The Jhalrapatan seat is now contesting has been represented by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Raje since 2003.

Senior Congress leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi, are contesting the state election.

The Congress has retained a sitting MLA and dropped one in the second list. Deeg Kumher MLA Vishwendra Singh gets the party ticket again while Rajakhedra MLA Pradhyuman Singh does not figure in it.

Eight other candidates in Saturday’s list lost the 2013 assembly elections. The two women in it are the wives of candidates who were defeated in 2013.

PCC vice president Archana Sharma has been fielded from Malvia Nagar against Kalicharan Saraf, health minister in the state's BJP government.

Former state minister Gurmeet Singh Kunner will contest in Karanpur against BJP candidate and minister Surendra Pal Singh TT.

Kunner was the minister for water resources in the Ashok Gehlot government.