Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Diya Kumari, Independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla may figure in BJP’s second Rajasthan list

The BJP has declared candidates on 16 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in its first list. Of remaining nine seats, Barmer and Bharatpur MPs may be denied tickets, said leaders familiar with selection.

The party is also likely to field BJP rebel and independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla from Dausa and former MLA Diya Kumari from Rajsamand, sources said.

The Nagaur seat was a cliffhanger till the last moment with speculation of former Congress MP Jyoti Mirdha joining the BJP after reports of denial of ticket by the Congress.

Rajasthan election incharge Prakash Javadekar, state BJP chief Madanlal Saini, general secretary (organisation) Chandrashekhar and former CM Vasundhara Raje held a meeting with national party president Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday evening to give a final seal of approval to the candidates.

The seats on which candidates are to be declared are Alwar, Barmer, Dausa, Bharatpur, Banswara, Nagaur, Churu, Dholpurkarauli and Rajsamand.

“Tickets of MPs from Bharatpur and Barmer are likely to be axed,” a BJP leader said.

He said while sitting MP CR Chaudhary’s name was almost final for Nagaur, the speculation about the Congress offering the seat to Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party at the cost of Jyoti Mirdha had changed the dynamics.

In the midst of talk of Mirdha’s ticket being cut, she met Shah and Javadekar, giving rise to speculation that she could join the BJP. “But only on the condition that she would be given a ticket,” said the party leader. However reports suggested that Congress had decided to field Mirdha from Nagaur while RLP was offered Ajmer. The BJP plans to go ahead with Chaudhary despite opposition from local MLAs and Raje who was backing former cabinet minister Yunus Khan.

In Rajsamand, a Rajput-dominated seat, former Sawai Madhopur MLA Diya Kumari’s name is being considered final despite opposition by Raje and the Mewar royal family.

In Dausa, the BJP may field independent MLA Hudla despite opposition from political rival Kirori Meena. Hudla had left the party after Meena denied him a ticket in the assembly elections. Meena has made his displeasure known to the party leaders over Hudla’s ticket but after the poor performance by the BJP in eastern belt in the assembly elections, Meena’s influence is seen to be diminished.

In Jat-dominated Barmer, former IPS officer Mahendra Chaudhary is likely to be fielded instead of sitting MP Col Sonaram. In Bharatpur, an SC seat, Bahadur Koli could be replaced by Ranjeeta Koli, daughter-in-law of former MP Gangaram Koli, sources said.

The sources said Baba Balaknath’s name is almost final on Alwar seat and MP Rahul Kaswan will be repeated from Churu after a patch-up between Rahul’s father and former MP Ram Singh Kaswan and Churu MLA Rajendra Rathore who was opposing Rahul’s candidature. Sitting MP Manshankar Ninama will be repeated on the Banswara seat.

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Here is all you need to know about Rajasthan