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After several days of intense negotiations, the ruling Congress on Saturday announced its first list, naming candidates for 33 of the 200 seats, for the Rajasthan Assembly election to be held on November 25. Of the 33 nominees, 29 are sitting MLAs.
The Congress list contained the constituencies represented by heavyweights such as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi, former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra. Mr. Gehlot will contest the polls from Sardarpura, Mr. Joshi from Nathdwara, Mr. Pilot from Tonk, and Mr. Dotasra from Lachhmangarh.
Apart from the sitting MLAs, the Congress has fielded four candidates from the same seats where they had contested in the 2018 election and lost to the BJP. They are Archana Sharma (Malviya Nagar, Jaipur), Pushpendra Bhardwaj (Sanganer), Lalit Kumar Yadav (Mundawar), and Vivek Dhakar (Mandalgarh).
Independent MLA Ramila Khadiya has been fielded as a Congress candidate from her Kushalgarh seat. She had supported the Gehlot government during the political crisis in 2020. Mr. Gehlot had praised Ms. Khadiya recently, saying she had not changed sides despite money having been placed in her car by those indulging in horse-trading.
The candidates considered loyalists of Mr. Pilot named in the list included Indraj Singh Gujjar (Viratnagar), Mukesh Bhakar (Ladnun), and Ramniwas Gawariya (Parbatsar). Four candidates each were declared for the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Among the members of the State Cabinet, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya has been retained from Bagidora, Mamta Bhupesh from Sikrai, and Tika Ram Jully from Alwar Rural. Ministers of State Ashok Chandna and Bhanwar Singh Bhati will contest the polls again from Hindoli and Kolayat, respectively.
