BJP Preps Rajasthan Candidates List, Question Mark On Ashok Gehlot's Opponent

The Rajasthan BJP has finalised the names of 39 candidates and has also put finishing touches  on a few others on the list. Sources said the first list of the BJP could be released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jodhpur on October 5.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told NDTV the BJP's list is ready. "There will be good news soon for everyone," he said in Jodhpur on Monday.

But who will fight Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Jodhpur is the big question.

The BJP is not keen to give Mr Gehlot a walkover in his constituency Sardarpura, where he won the last four elections comfortably, sources said.

The BJP plans to put Gajendra Singh Shekhawat against Mr Gehlot in Sardarpur. Mr Shekhawat is the MP from Jodhpur and had defeated Mr Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot in the last national election.

It's not just Mr Shekhawat, the BJP appears to be making MPs fight MLA elections on tough seats.

The BJP is said to have asked Vasundhara Raje if it would be a good idea for her to take on Mr Gehlot head on.

Ms Raje brings firepower to the BJP; the party may benefit from her charisma and crowd-pulling abilities to wrest a tough seat in Rajatshan.

The BJP's strategy seems to be using MPs and other strong candidates for fast bowling so that they can knock out some of the Congress's star batsmen.

Rajsamand MP Diya Kumari could also be asked to take on Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi in the Nathdwara seat that falls in her constituency of Rajsamand.

Making MPs fight MLA elections is going to lead to a lot of political churning in Rajasthan.

If MPs win MLA elections, there will be that many contenders for the Chief Minister's post.

But in his Chittorgarh rally today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear the only face is the lotus (BJP's election symbol) and the party as a whole is fighting the election.

Putting the party first also has a clever agenda for the national leadership to reduce the influence of regional leaders like Mr Raje and Shivraj Singh Chauhan. The party has the option of creating a new line of leadership at the central level who are young, fresh and ready not only for 2024 but 2029 too.

The Congress in the meantime is working on its ticket list. Thirty names have been finalised and Mr has reported to have told ministers after a cabinet meeting on Sunday that many of them may not get tickets to fight anti-incumbency.

The Congress's surveys have suggested that Mr Gehlot remains a popular leader, but there is anti-incumbency against MLAs and ministers.

Think tanks working closely with the Congress have suggested at least 90 seats in the Congress should be changed. It is not known whether the party will accept this recommendation.

The Congress is likely to release its list after the BJP does.