BJP releases third list of candidates for Rajasthan Assembly elections; 182 nominees declared so far

The BJP on Thursday released its third list of 58 candidates for the November 25 Rajasthan assembly elections, fielding its nominees against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

Mahendra Singh Rathore, a former chairperson of the Jodhpur Development Authority, is pitted against Gehlot in the Sardarpura assembly constituency and former MLA Ajit Singh Mehta against Pilot in Tonk. Mehta had won the 2013 assembly polls from Tonk on a BJP ticket and in 2018, Pilot wrested the seat from the BJP.

In its third list, the BJP has fielded religious guru of Hathoj Dham Balmukand Acharya from Hawamahal, a seat for which the Congress is yet to announce a candidate. BJP national general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh released the list in New Delhi.

So far, the party has fielded candidates for 182 of the 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan. In the first two lists, the party announced 83 and 41 candidates, respectively.
In the third list, the BJP has fielded seven women candidates and renominated eight sitting MLAs.

The sitting MLAs are Rampratap Kasaniya from Suratgarh, Madan Dilawar from Ramganj Mandi, Pabbaram Vishnoi from Phalodi, Puraram Choudhary from Bhinmal, Narayan Singh Dewal from Raniwada, Arjun Lal Jingar from Kapasan, Chandrakanta Meghwal from Keshoraipatan, and Kalpana Devi from Ladpura.

The BJP has given tickets to Subhash Meel from Khandela, Darshan Singh from Karauli and Uday Lal Dangi from Vallabhnagar. They joined the party in Delhi a day ago. Meel and Singh joined the BJP from the Congress and Dangi from the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP).

The BJP has denied a ticket to former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal from Shahpura Bhilwara. Lalaram Bairwa has been given a chance in his place. Meghwal had recently opened a front against Union minister Arjun Meghwal, after which the party suspended him.

Voting for all 200 seats in the state will be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Nominations can be filed till November 6.