BSP fields controversial ex-bureaucrats in Rajasthan

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has announced the second list of six candidates which includes three former controversial bureaucrats — former IAS officer Umaro Salodia, dismissed IPS officer Pankaj Choudhary and his wife Mukul Pankaj Choudhary.

According to the list signed by the Bahujan Samaj Party’s supremo Mayawati, former IAS Umrao Salodia will contest from Jaipur City, former IPS Pankaj Choudhary from Barmer, and his wife Mukul Choudhary from Jodhpur. Three more candidates planning to contest are Bhagirath Vishnoi from Jalore, Shivaram Meghwal from Pali and Dr Jagdish Sharma from Chittorgarh.

Former IPS officer Pankaj Choudhary was dismissed last month by the Union Ministry of Home Affair from service over allegations of an extramarital relationship filed by his wife. A week later, he announced his entry to politics and visited several parliamentary constituencies following which he announced his candidature for the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Barmer parliamentary constituency.

Similarly Pankaj Choudhary’s wife Mukul Pankaj Choudhary had announced that she would contest in the assembly election against former chief minister Vasundhara Raje from her home turf Jhalarapatan. But after Congress fielded Manvendra Singh from Jhalarapatan, Mukul announced her support. She will now contest for Lok Sabha polls from Jodhpur on BSP seat against Vaibhav Gehlot of Congress and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of BJP.

Salodia, a retired senior bureaucrat of the rank of additional chief secretary from Rajasthan had taken voluntary retirement from service in 2015 and reportedly converted to Islam citing victimisation on grounds of belonging to scheduled caste, as he was not considered for the post of chief secretary.

Candidates so far

According to the Rajasthan state in-charge Munkad Ali and party’s state president Sitaram Meghwal party will contest the Lok Sabha elections on all 25 seats in Rajasthan. Out of 25, party has so far announced 11 candidates.

On April 1, the party had announced five candidates – Imran Khan from Alwar, Harish Kumar from Kota, Dr Badri Prasad from Jhalawar-baran, Keshu Lal from Udaipur and Colonel Durga Lal from Ajmer.