BJP Announces 2 Rajasthan Poll Panels, Vasundhara Raje Not On Either

The BJP on Thursday announced two key election committees for Congress-run Rajasthan, with former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje not being made a member of any one of them. The 21-member election management committee is headed by former MP Narayan Panchariya. 

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will lead the election manifesto panel - the Pradesh Sankalp Patra (manifesto) committee.

The party is expected to announce a third committee - an election campaign committee - for the state in the coming weeks.

Asked about Ms Raje being left out of the poll panels, BJP state in-charge Arun Singh said she will campaign for the election.

"She is the national vice president of the party. She has a big role to play. She has been the Chief Minister of the state twice and will campaign in the election. We all respect her," he told reporters.

The BJP's state election in-charge and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said both state and central leaders of the party will campaign for the crucial polls.

"Our strategy is ready. I have full confidence that people will give the mandate to the BJP and we will get a historic victory," he said.

The election committees were formed by the party chief JP Nadda.

The 21-member election management committee is headed by former MP Narayan Panchariya, while Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will lead the Pradesh Sankalp Patra (manifesto) committee.

The announcement was made by BJP state president CP Joshi and Arun Singh at the party office in Jaipur.

Mr Joshi said Union Minister Meghwal will be the convenor of the party's 'Pradesh Sankalp Patra Samiti'.

Rajya Sabha members Ghanshyam Tiwari and Kirori Lal Meena, national secretary Alka Singh Gurjar, former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rao Rajendra Singh, former Union Minister Subhash Maharia, former state vice president Prabhu Lal Saini and Rakhi Rathore have been made co-convenors in the 25-member manifesto committee.

In the election management committee, former state general secretary Onkar Singh Lakhawat, party's national spokesperson and MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, state general secretaries Bhajan Lal and Damodar Agarwal, former information commissioner CM Meena and Kanhaiya Lal Bairwal will be co-convenors.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)