NEW DELHI: Protests broke out in Rajasthan on Thursday after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its second list of candidates for the December 7 Assembly polls on Wednesday.
The ruling party has released two lists so far naming 162 candidates. It has denied tickets to 43 MLAs, including four ministers. Supporters of several of these leaders protested outside the residence of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
One of the ministers denied a ticket, Surendra Goyal, also announced his resignation from the saffron party and said he would contest independently. A total of 92 sitting MLAs have been fielded again. The BJP won 163 seats in the last 2013 elections, while the Congress could get just 21. Traditionally, these two parties have ruled one after another. So far, the saffron party has given tickets to 19 women candidates.
Four leaders who joined the BJP from other parties also got tickets. These include Abhinesh Mehrishi, who will contest from the Ratangarh seat after quitting the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former Congress leaders Ashok Sharma and Mahesh Pratap Singh and two-time Independent legislator Gurdeep Shahpini (Sangaria seat).
Those denied tickets include Gyandeo Ahuja, sitting MLA from Ramgarh, and ministers Babulal Verma, Dhan Singh Rawat and Rajkumar Rinwa, along with Goyal. The saffron party has not given tickets to any Muslim candidate so far. The party is silent on the candidature of CMRaje’s close aide Yunus Khan.