Rajasthan bypolls: BJP and Congress release names of candidates

It will be a face-off between BJP's Ramswarup Lamba and Congress' Raghu Sharma in Ajmer byelections.

List of candidates for upcoming Rajasthan bypolls has been released by both BJP and Congress Image: PTI/Representational

New Delhi:  Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today okayed the name of Raghu Sharma, a former MLA from Rajasthan, as the party's candidate for the Ajmer Lok Sabha by-election, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

#Congress nominates Raghu Sharma as its candidate for Ajmer Lok Sabha #bypoll: AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 7, 2018

Sharma has served as chief whip of the party in the Rajasthan Assembly. Vivek Dhakar will be the party's candidate for the bypoll to the Mandalgarh assembly seat in the state. Pradesh Congress Committee chief and former Union minister Sachin Pilot had unsuccessfully contested from the Ajmer constituency in the 2014 general elections. Besides, a by-election will be held in the Alwar parliamentary seat on January 29. The Congress has already nominated Karan Singh Yadav, a former MP, as its candidate for it. BJP has also released its candidates list.

#BJP names Jaswant Singh Yadav, minister in #Rajasthan govt, and Ramswarup Lamba as its candidates for #bypolls to LS seats of Alwar, Ajmer respectively — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 7, 2018

As far as the party in the Centre BJP is concerned, it has fileded Rajasthan Cabinet Minister from Alwar Jaswant Singh Yadav and party leader from Ajmer Ramswarup Lamba. Shakti Singh Hada from Kota will be the BJP's candidate for the Legislative Assembly constituency polls in Rajasthan's Mandalgarh.