Rajasthan polls: rivals Ashok Gehlot & Sachin Pilot in Congress' first candidate list

The Congress on Saturday released its first list of 33 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly elections, fielding Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura and his former deputy Sachin Pilot from Tonk.

Three leaders who rebelled against Gehlot with Pilot in 2020 made it to the list -- Indraj Singh Gurjar from Virat Nagar, Mukesh Bhakhar from Ladnun, and Ramniwas Gawariya from Parbatsar.

The Congress has given tickets to five ministers, 27 sitting MLAs and an independent candidate who won the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections.

The party has fielded Archana Sharma from Malviya Nagar and Pushpendra Bharadwaj from Sanganer. Both of them had lost the last elections.

Lalit Kumar Yadav, who lost the elections on a BSP ticket from Mundawar, and Vivek Dhakhar, who had contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket from Mandalgarh, have also been given tickets.

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Ramila Khadiya, who had contested as an independent candidate and won, has been fielded by the party from Kushalgarh seat.

Speaker C P Joshi will contest from his Nathdwara assembly seat and Congress state unit president Govind Singh Dotasra from Lachhmangarh. Former minister Harish Chaudhary will contest from Baytoo and minister Mamata Bhupesh from Sikrai-SC seat.

The other ministers who have been given tickets are Bhanwar Singh Bhati from Kolayat, Tikaram Julie from Alwar Rural, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya from Bagidora, and Ashok Chandna from Hindoli.

The list includes the names of nine women candidates. It also includes three Scheduled Caste seats and four Scheduled Tribe seats.

In a post on X, Dotasra asserted that all 33 candidates announced by the Congress would win.

"Mandate to Congress, this is the message of Rajasthan.

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"Congratulations in advance to the 33 candidates announced by the Congress party for their massive victory in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections. This time, the people of Rajasthan will write history and change the tradition by giving an unprecedented mandate to the Congress," he said.

Rajasthan has never re-elected a government since 1998, alternating between the Congress and the BJP.

The Congress is yet to declare candidates on a majority of seats. Its Central Election Committee will meet on Sunday to finalise names for more seats.

The polls to the 200-member assembly will be held on November 25.