Rajasthan Elections: Key Candidates And Constituencies

Rajasthan Assembly elections 2018 tomorrow: Here is a look at the key candidates fielded by BJP and Congress at the crucial seats for the election

Rajasthan CM Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. PTI-File Photo

New Delhi:  Rajasthan will vote on Friday to elect its 200-seat assembly, out of which 199 will go to polls tomorrow in a decisive election for both BJP and Congress which are locked in a tough fight. Polling will take place on 199 out of 200 seats as it was postponed in Ramgarh assembly constituency in Alwar district after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Laxman Singh died of cardiac arrest There are around 135 seats where there is a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. As per trends, anti-incumbency factor has played a decisive role in Rajasthan polls. In 2013, the state had been swept off by BJP under the stewardship of Vasundhara Raje. This time Raje is facing strong anti-incumbency sentiments. Here’s a look at some of the key faces from the BJP and their constituencies: Jhalrapata assembly seat: BJP- Vasundhara Raje (Current CM of the state); Congress - Manvendra Singh Congress has fielded MLA and former BJP leader Manvendra Singh to give a tough fight to the current Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje at her home turf Jhalrapata. Manvendra Singh is the son of former Defense Minister Jaswant Singh. Udaipur City Assembly seat BJP – Gulab Chand Kataria, Congress-  Girija Vyas Udaipur will witness a tough fight between Home Minister of Rajasthan in the Vasundhara Raje government and senior Congress leader and former president of National Commission for Women of India Girija Vyas. Malviya Nagar Assembly seat BJP – Kalicharan Saraf, Congress – Archana Sharma Congress has fielded its Rajasthan state spokesperson Archana Sharma against BJP’s Kalicharan Saraf who is the Health minister under Vasundhara Raje government. Ramganj Mandi: BJP – Madan Dilawar, Congress – Ram Gopal Dilawar is the Dalit face of the party in Hadauti region and RSS poster boy. Dilawar had been a BJP MLA from 1990 to 2008 and was a cabinet minister in Bharo Singh Shekhawat and later in Vasundhara Raje’s governments. Civil Lines Assembly seat BJP – Arun Chaturvedi, Congress- Pratap Singh Khachariyawas A minister in Vasundhara government, Chaturvedi will be in a face-off with Congress’ Pratap Singh Khachariyawas Ajmer North BJP – Vasudev Devnani (Education minister in Vasundhra Raje government), Congress - Mahendra Singh Ralawata Barmer BJP – Col. (Retd) Sonaram Choudhary, Congress– Mewaram Jain Sona Ram is a senior leader of the Jat community and has been elected to the Lok Sabha four times. Choudhary had left the Congress before the last Lok Sabha elections and joined the BJP. Mewaram Jain is the current Congress MLA from the same seat. Shahpura Assembly seat BJP – Rao Rajendra Singh (Deputy Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly), Congress – Manish Yadav Jhotwara Assembly seat BJP – Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, Congress – Lal Chand Kataria Rajpal Singh Shekhawat was first inducted as Minister by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and had a number of portfolios. Presently in Vasundhara Raje government. Kesoraipatan Assembly seat BJP - Chandrakanta Meghwal (MLA from Ramganj Mandi but shifted to this seat); Congress - Rakesh Boyat Churu Assembly seat BJP – Rajendra Rathore; Congress – Rafique Mandelia Rathore is the minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Parliamentary Affairs in Vasundhra Raje government . Jaitaran (Pali) Assembly seat BJP - Avinash Gehlot; Congress - Dilip Chaudhary Avinash Gehlot is the young and new face of BJP. He replaced state cabinet minister Surendra Goyal. Congress has fielded Dilip Chaudhary who had faced defeat from the same seat in 2013 polls. Here is a look at the key Congress candidates this time: Sardarpura Assembly Seat- Congress – Ashok Gehlot (), BJP – Shambhu Singh Congress banks upon the two times Chief Minister of the state and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura Assembly seat. Tonk Assembly seat Congress – Sachin Pilot, BJP – Yoonus Khan Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot who was a minister in the UPA II government is contesting his first assembly election and is hailed as the young face of Congress party.  BJP has fielded its only Muslim candidate Yoonus Khan, who is a minister in the Vasundhara Raje government. Nathdwara Assembly seat Congress – CP Joshi; BJP – Mahesh Pratap Singh Joshi was the former minister of Road Transport and Highways and Railway in the UPA government Nokha Assembly seat Congress – Rameshwar Dudi (Leader of the Opposition, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly); BJP – Bihari Lal Rameshwar Dudi the leader of opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly is Congress’striong card from the Nokha Assembly seat. Sadulpur Assembly Seat: Congress – Krishna Poonia,  BSP – Manoj Nyangali, BJP – Ram Kishan Kaswan (Former MP from Churu) Sadulpur Assembly seat will witness a triangular contest between Congress’ Poonia who won an individual gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2010, sitting MLA Manoj Nyangali of BSP and former MP from Churu Ram Kishan Kaswan