BJP announces 131 names for Rajasthan Polls

The BJP has nominated 85 sitting MLAs in the first list of candidates for Rajasthan Assembly polls. The party announced a list of 131 candidates. The announcement was made by secretary, central election committee of BJP, and Union minister J P Nadda in New Delhi on Sunday night.

Speaking to DH, Rajasthan BJP spokesperson Anand Sharma said, "In the first list, 25 new faces have been inducted. The list also includes 12 women, 32 youth, 17 scheduled caste candidates and 19 from scheduled tribes". However, the list has no Muslim candidate.
According to the list issued by the BJP New Delhi office, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will be contesting from Jhalrapatan. Raje has been contesting from the same seat for the last four times.

Interestingly, Col Sonaram, who is sitting MP from Barmer, has also been included in the first list. Surprisingly present health minister Kali Charan Saraf's name, sitting MLA from Malviya Nagar, is missing from the list.

However, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria will fight from his home turf Udaipur. One of the surprise candidates in the list is Golma Devi Meena, wife of BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, Kirodi Lal Meena who recently joined BJP. She will be contesting from Sapotra Assembly constituency.

Rajasthan will go to polls on December 7 and counting will be held on December 11.

Minister's who couldn't figure in the first list

Rajasthan Health Minister and five times MLA Kalicharan Saraf, Transport Minister Yunus Khan, Industries Minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat and Labour and employment minister Jaswant Singh Yadav fail to find space in the first list.

The final meeting in which the list was announced was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister and all other members of CEC of BJP.