Dholpur byelection: Cong likely to field 5time MLA Banwari Lal

GIANT KILLER Banwari Lal had defeated Vasundhara Raje, the current CM, in 1993; his son & district party chief too was considered

the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on Sobha Rani Kushwaha, wife of jailed BSP MLA BL Kushwaha as the party candidate for bypolls to the Dholpur assembly seat, the Congress is likely to field fivetime MLA Banwari Lal Sharma for the seat.

The bypolls to the Dholpur assembly constituency will be held on April 9. The seat fell vacant following the conviction and life imprisonment of BL Kushwaha in a connection with a murder case.

The 77-year-old Sharma to his credit has five MLA victories in which he once defeated Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in 1993.

“The district Congress Committee has recommended Sharma’s name. Besides Sharma, other names making the rounds include former district Congress chief Durga Dutt Shastri, and few from the Youth Congress such as Amit Mudgal,” a senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be named, said.

Earlier, Sharma’s son, Ashok, who is at present the Dholpur district Congress president, too was under consideration but his name was later withdrawn.

State Congress chief Sachin Pilot has held a number of rounds of talks with senior party leaders, including ex-chief minister Ashok Gehlot, he said.

The party will announce the name of the candidate by Thursday or Friday, said the leader.

Shobharani along with her supporters joined the BJP last month at a public meeting in Dholpur in presence of state BJP chief Ashok Parnami.

Political experts believe that the by-polls with be a tough fight for the ruling party as Banwari is a seasoned politician and fivetime legislator. The BJP on the other hand, is leaving no stone unturned to get hold of the seat in Raje’s home turf.

State ministers, including Rajendra Rathore, Kali Charan Saraf and Yunus Khan, along with state BJP chief Paranami, are camping in the district to ensure the party’s victory.

The district Congress Committee has recommended Sharma’s name. Besides Sharma, other names making the rounds include exdistrict Congress chief Durga Dutt Shastri, and a few from the Youth Congress