BJP’s second list of 83 candidates seems like a balancing act of party

Jaipur: BJP’s second list of 83 candidates comes as a balance act of the party with a special focus on damage control.

The party’s high command decided to revisit the candidate selection process, leading to a fresh exercise. In this recalibration, a formula was devised for reevaluating sitting MLAs and keen attention was paid to the list’s composition.

Notably, 70 percent of the seats in this second list are those that the BJP had secured in the previous election, deeming them strongholds.

Four seats in Jaipur city, which hold significant influence from the RSS, have had their ticket allocation postponed.
Among these 83 candidates, 24 of them will contest on seats where the BJP faced defeat in the 2018 assembly elections.

The party has introduced fresh faces on 16 seats and withdrawn tickets of eight incumbent MLAs were cut.
The list emphasizes diversity by accommodating both seasoned politicians and new entrants.

Additionally, it reflects the influence of the RSS as well as weightage to former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s recommendations.

However, while the BJP celebrated the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, the party’s candidate list for Rajasthan does not reflect the same gender diversity.

Out of the 124 candidates announced so far, only 14 are women. It remains to be seen if the BJP will increase this representation in future candidate lists.