Congress declares 19 more Rajasthan names; win some, lose some for Ashok Gehlot

Incidentally, three Gehlot loyalists and heavyweights who are considered the architects of the 2022 defiance by the CM of a high command directive do not figure in the party’s third list either.

The three include Cabinet ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore, the Chairman of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation.

With the declaration of the 19 names, the Congress has so far announced 95 candidates out of the total 200.

In an echo of the continuing undercurrent of tension in the state party unit, Congress leader Sachin Pilot Thursday said the collective objective of party leaders was to work unitedly to win the Assembly polls, and that the high command would take a decision on who would lead the government.

He was addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, held in the wake of the Enforcement Directorate action against senior Congress leaders in Rajasthan, including Gehlot’s son. Asked about Gehlot’s statement last week indicating that he expected to return as CM should the Congress win, Pilot said: “What is there to react to this? What he said would have been on the basis of his experience of decades. Our collective objective is to fight the elections unitedly and that the Congress wins… After the party wins, the AICC leadership will speak with the MLAs that are victorious and whatever decision will be taken will be acceptable to all.”

He added that this was a convention of the party, irrespective of the state.

Asked about the 2022 incident specifically, when a Congress Legislature Party meeting to apparently make him CM could not take place last year as Gehlot and supporters stayed away, Pilot said that it should be analysed, but asserted that it was in the past. “I was told by (Congress president Mallikarjun) Khargeji when I met him about seven months ago that we have to fight the elections unitedly and no one can win the elections single-handedly. Polls are fought collectively by the organisation. He had told me, ‘Sachin we have to move forward, so forget the past, forget whatever has happened and let us move forward’… I have moved forward.”

The 19 names announced Thursday include Cabinet minister Ramesh Chand Meena, who has been retained from Sapotra, and Narendra Budaniya, who stands again from Taranagar. Budaniya will contest against Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, who has changed his seat from Churu to Taranagar this time.

Ganga Devi has been retained from Bagru, Gajraj Khatana from Bandikui, Harish Chandra Meena from Deoli-Uniara, Rakesh Pareek from Masuda, Madan Prajapat from Pachpadra, and Panachand Meghwal from Baran-Atru.

Wajib Ali and Lakhan Singh, who had joined the Congress from the BSP, have been retained from their Assembly seats of Nagar and Karauli, respectively.

MLA Shobharani Kushwah, who joined the Congress at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s rally in Jhunjhunu just a day earlier, has retained her Dholpur seat. Kushwah was expelled by the BJP in June 2022 for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.

In Sahara, the Congress has replaced sitting MLA Gayatri Devi Trivedi with Rajendra Trivedi. In October 2021, sitting MLA Kailash Chandra Trivedi had died of post-Covid complications and the Congress had then fielded his wife Gayatri in the bypoll held the next year. Kailash’s brother Rajendra, who has been fielded now, was an aspirant back then too.

From Ratangarh, the Congress has fielded Pusaram Godara, who lost in 2018 to Abhinesh Maharshi. In Suratgarh, Congress has fielded Shrawan Kumar. Last time, the Congress had fielded Hanuman Meel from here, and he had lost to Rampratap Kasniyan of the BJP. From Reodar, the party’s candidate is Motiram Koli. The seat is currently held by Jagasi Ram. In 2018, Neeraj Dangi had lost to Ram; considered close to CM Gehlot, Dangi was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020.

In Jhadol, currently held by the BJP’s Babu Lal, the Congress has fielded Heera Lal. From Keshoraipatan, Congress has fielded C L Premi Bairwa; this seat is currently held by the BJP’s Chandrakanta Meghwal.

with ENS, Delhi