Rajasthan polls: Congress releases 6th list. leaves Bharatpur for RLD

On the last day of nomination, with only three weeks to go for the Rajasthan assembly elections, the Congress party on late Saturday released its sixth list, naming 23 candidates.

The party has introduced 11 new faces, including Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) member Abhimanyu Poonia, who has been fielded from the Sangaria constituency, PCC secretary Prashant Sharma from Amber, and Ajit Beniwal from Bhadra, among others.

The party has denied a ticket to chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s loyalist and minister Mahesh Joshi from Hawa Mahal constituency and instead has fielded RR Tiwari, Congress Jaipur district president. Tiwari will be contesting for the first time.

Joshi was among the three Congress leaders who were issued notice by the party leadership in September 2022 for indiscipline and failing to comply with the directives of the party’s high command.

No decision has been taken on urban development and housing minister Shanti Dhariwal from Kota-North. Moreover, the party has chosen to leave the Bharatpur seat for the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). The Congress has continued its alliance with RLD on the Bharatpur seat from where sitting minister Subhash Garg will contest.

Of the 200-assembly constituency, the Congress so far has announced 179 names for the November 25 polls. The last date of nomination is November 6.

According to the list, the Congress has fielded four MLAs– Gopal Meena from Jamwa Ramgarh, Virendra Singh from Danta Ramgarh, Kishnaram Bishnoi from Lohawat, and Meena Kanwar from Shergarh.

Independent MLA Alok Beniwal has been denied a ticket from the Shahpura assembly and Manish Yadav has been fielded in his place.

The party has fielded former Alwar municipal council chairman Ajay Agarwal from Alwar. Mahila Congress vice president Saroj Choudhary has been fielded from Ahore.

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan assembly election will be held is scheduled to take place on 25 November, and the counting of votes will be done on 3 December. In the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections, the Congress secured 99 seats, while the BJP won 73.