Internal tussle delays BJP’s Dausa pick

Jaipur: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday declared four candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan. With today’s declaration of candidates, the BJP and its ally in the state, Rashtrita Loktantrik Party, have declared 24 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Owing to the intense political slugfest, the last seat of Dausa remains in want of a candidate.

The announcement of the candidate on the seat is still pending as the former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and BJP Rajyasabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena are trying to wrest the seat for their respective candidates.

In today’s list the name of erstwhile princess of Jaipur Diya Kumari has also been finalised from Rajsamand Lok Sabha constituency,  which was first reported by this newspaper.

Sources stated that the finalisation of candidate for Dausa is stuck as both factions are fighting for their respective candidates. While Raje is backing the candidature of OP Hudla or Jaskaur Meena while Kirori Lal Meena is seeking to field his wife Golma Devi from the seat.

It is understood that the central leadership of the party is still weighing the possible candidates on the seat and a compromise candidate may finally be fielded in the seat to save it from going down due to infighting amongst factions.

A detailed discussion on the contentious issue has taken place at the BJP Central unit with the state in charge of Rajasthan Prakash Javadekar briefing senior leaders on the issue, sources added.

Meanwhile, other seats finalised in Rajasthan were Ranjeeta Kohli from Bharatpur,  Manoj Rajoria from Karoli Dhaulpur and Kailash Chaudhary from Barmer.

Out of 25 lok sabha seats in Rajasthan BJP has declared its candidates on 23, while one has been allocated to its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party which has fileded Hanuman Beniwal from Nagaur.