New Delhi:
BJP today declared the names of 176 candidates, including Vasundhara Raje and her known critic Gulab Chand Kataria, for the 200-member Rajasthan assembly elections and decided to field three former MPs, 20 women and three persons from the minority community in the polls.
Six sitting MLAs were refused tickets by the party's Central Election Committee that finalised the candidates today. One MLA has been re-nominated but from another constituency.
Prominent among those who will contest these elections are three former MPs Kiran Maheshwari, who will fight the polls from Rajsamand, Subash Mehria (Lachmangarh) and Srichand Kriplani (Nimbahera).
Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will be in fray from her seat Jhalrapatan while Kataria will contest from Udaipur.
Ms Raje loyalist and former PWD and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore, who was jailed for the alleged fake encounter of bootlegger Dara Singh but released later, will contest from Churu.
Gyandev Ahuja, also close to Ms Raje, will contest from Ramgarh.
Former Rajasthan unit president Arun Chaturvedi will fight the elections from Civil Lines constituency.
Former Vice President of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's son-in-law Narpat Singh Rajvi has been given the ticket from Vidhyadhar Nagar.
Ghanshyam Tiwari, who belongs to anti-Raje camp, will contest from Sanganer. Kanhaiya Lal Meena will contest from Bassi (ST) seat.
Among the candidates declared today by BJP, 24 are for Scheduled Tribe and 30 Scheduled Caste seats.
The party is fielding two ST candidates in two general category seats. 20 women have been given ticket this time while three Muslims will be in fray on a BJP ticket.
Ms Raje and BJP in-charge of Rajasthan Kaptan Singh Solanki were present during the CEC meeting.
BJP deferred the selection of candidates for Delhi assembly till tomorrow morning when the CEC will meet again.
The remaining seats of Madhya Pradesh will also be finalised tomorrow. These were not taken up due to the death of MP Assembly Speaker Ishwardas Rohani today.