Amidst reports of unrest in BJP over ticket distribution in Rajasthan, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday stated that a team led by MoS Kailash Choudhary has been constituted for "damage control," news agency ANI reported. Speaking with media persons, Union Minister Meghwal stated: "I too have spoken with 8-10 people. We hold reviews every day. We will do whatever damage control is required. All of them are workers of the BJP. When they were demanding tickets, they were competing against each other. Now, that tickets have been allotted, everyone will work to make the candidates - who received the tickets - win."
"Every party has its strategy. We are working as per our strategy. You saw this in Madhya Pradesh too. I think this is a good move," he further stated.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot took a jibe at BJP stating that "they (BJP) can't decide a face here, they gave tickets to 9 MPs and I consider this as their biggest failure...this means they have accepted defeat and fielding MPs because of that."
After the BJP revealed its initial list of 41 candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, at least five disgruntled ticket applicants – or their supporters– protested against the party on Tuesday. In one instance, followers of a politician who was refused a party ticket destroyed the flags of the party.
Supporters of Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, a former BJP MLA from Jhotwara, demonstrated against BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's bid for the seat.
Shekhawat's supporters chanted for the elimination of the "parachute" candidate in order to rescue the constituency. A protest video is making the rounds on social media. Only three of the 41 candidates are women, while 12 were previously filed by the party in the 2018 assembly elections.
Six SC and ten ST seats were among the 41 constituencies for which the BJP prepared a list.
Rajasthan will hold elections for all 200 assembly seats on November 23, with votes being tallied on December 3.