Rajasthan Assembly polls: BJP denies ticket to Raje loyalist, former state unit chief

The BJP Sunday released its fifth list of candidates for the November 25 Rajasthan Assembly elections, fielding among others, the president of its union for the unemployed, and denying ticket to Ashok Parnami, former state president of the party and a loyalist of former CM Vasundhara Raje.

Upen Yadav, president of the Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrut Mahasangh (RBEM), has been fielded from the Shahpura seat.

Upen Yadav has emerged as a youth leader after being at the forefront of various agitations. The BJP dropped Parnami, a two-time MLA from Adarsh Nagar, and fielded Ravi Nayyar from the constituency.

The party has also dropped another former Rajasthan state BJP president Arun Chaturvedi from the Civil Lines seat and fielded Gopal Sharma against state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas. From Shergarh, the party has fielded Babu Singh Rathore while former MLA and another Raje loyalist Prahlad Gunjal will contest from his usual seat of Kota North.