Jaipur: Seven MPs have been named in the first list of 41 candidates by BJP for the Rajasthan elections, just hours after the Election Commission announced the poll dates.
There is also a clever strategy of caste mathematics that can clearly be seen in the first list.
For example, MP Diya Kumari, who will contest from Vidhyadhar Nagar, will replace sitting BJP MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi, who is the son-in-law of BJP stalwart and late Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
Similarly, Rajyavardhan Rathore will be the replacement for Rajpal Singh Shekhawat in Jhotwara. The Congress had won the last election against Mr Shekhawat.
Strategically, two popular MPs have been used to axe former BJP ministers in the then Vasundhara Raje cabinet.
The seven MPs and the seats they will contest from are: Diya Kumari (Vidhyadhar Nagar), Bhagirath Choudhary (Kishangarh), Kirodi Lal Meena (Sawai Madhopur), Devji Patel (Sanchore), Narendra Kumar (Mandawa), Rajyavardhan Rathore (Jhotwara) and Baba Balaknath (Tijara).
The BJP has focused on the Gujjar and Meena vote bank by bringing in two faces - Vijay Bainsla son of Col Kirori Singh Bainsla and MP Kirodi Lal Meena.
Col Bainsla launched the reservation movement for Gujjars, which is still an emotive issue for the community.
Kirodi Lal Meena, a big draw for Meena votes, has also been pulled into the contest. He will have to lead from the front and bring in crucial Meena votes apart from winning his own seat, say sources.
Meenas and Gujjars are key vote banks, especially in eastern Rajasthan where the BJP performed badly in the last election.
Last time, the BJP gave tickets to nine Gujjars. However, all of them lost.
Of the 19 seats in eastern Rajasthan last time, the BJP managed to secure only one.
The names were finalised at a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) that was chaired by the BJP chief JP Nadda on October 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the meeting.
Earlier this month, PM Modi gave a clear indication that no leader will be projected as the chief ministerial candidate. The party symbol 'lotus' will be "the candidate", he said.
While the Congress has put up a united front, infighting and power tussle within the ranks continues to be a key challenge as the party readies for the polls. Infighting is a key challenge for the BJP too, with rival camps of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat jostling with each other for prominence.
Notably, the BJP has fielded three Union Ministers - Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste - and four Lok Sabha members as candidates for the Madhya Pradesh polls.
In Rajasthan, which will see a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP - anti-incumbency is an important factor. Since 1993, the state has alternated between the Congress and the BJP.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress won 99 of the 199 seats where elections were held (polling in one constituency was cancelled because of a candidate's death). The BJP won 73.
Rajasthan goes to polls on November 23. The votes for the 200-seat assembly will be counted on December 3.