Congress-BJP ‘forget’ promises in candidate selection

Jaipur: Regarding the Assembly elections, both BJP and Congress do not seem to be living up to the promises made to their workers regarding the ticket selection process. The result is being seen in the form of rebellion in both the parties. To control this rebellion, parties have to prepare separate strategies. Seeing this rebellion, both the parties are now brainstorming about changing the formula in their future lists.

BJP had announced to keep its officials away from electoral politics in the Assembly elections. But this could not happen. In its very first list, the party gave tickets to many officials, among whom the names of Diyakumari, Baba Balaknath, Bhajanlal Sharma, Santosh Ahlawat, Jitendra Gothwal and Heera Lal Nagar are prominent. Contrary to expectations, in its second list, BJP also gave tickets to all those MLAs, whose replacement was being talked about for the last three years. BJP has announced the names of 124 candidates so far. Out of these, the stake has been played on 12 such candidates, who had contested as independent candidates in the last elections. These include seats like Ganganagar, Sujangarh, Jhunjhunu, Bansur, Kotputli, Merta, Badikuni, Sapotra and Thanagaji.

Meanwhile, to counter the anti-incumbency wave, Congress had repeatedly announced cutting the tickets of sitting MLAs on the basis of their performance. But Congress fielded 67 of its 102 sitting MLAs from among the candidates declared in its three lists. Tickets of only two MLAs were cancelled but their relatives were given tickets in their place.

Leaders in the queue for tickets from both BJP and Congress have started contacting third parties as soon as the list came out.

It is being told that most of the leaders of BJP and Congress are in contact with Hanuman Beniwal’s party RLP. RLP Chief Beniwal said that the party is brainstorming on the claims of all the claimants. Tickets will be announced keeping all aspects in mind. According to Beniwal, there are more than half a dozen candidates in touch with his party officials.