A DOZEN BJP MPs LIKELY TO CONTEST ’23 POLLS, MLAs MAY GET LS TICKETS

Jaipur: Nearly a dozen BJP MPs including Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat may contest Rajasthan Assembly elections in 2023, while a few sitting MLAs may be given ticket for Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The saffron party is seriously contemplating this move. Nearly a dozen of sitting MPs who have high chances of victory may be fielded in the Assembly elections. Some of such MPs have already started work in constituencies. In a meeting of BJP Rajasthan’s core group held recently in New Delhi, indications were given that the party may give tickets to some of the sitting MPs for Assembly elections while some MLAs may be considered for ticket in Lok Sabha elections. The party knows it well that if the Assembly elections are won, then the general elections in 2014 will not be tough. Sources said that BJP national president JP Nadda and state in charge Arun Singh are working on the strategy and MPs will be given hint in due time for preparing to contest assembly elections. At present, BJP has 25 Lok Sabha MPs while Rajendra Gehlot, Bhupendra Yadav, Dr Kirodi Lal Meena and Ghanshyam Tiwari are Rajya Sabha members. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had fielded some sitting MLAs including Om Birla, Bahadur Singh Koli, Sanwar Lal Jat and Santosh Ahlawat to ensure 100 per cent victory. They became MPs. 9 of a dozen MPs who are being seriously considered for giving tickets in assembly elections have been MLAs earlier.