New Delhi: Manvendra Singh, former Union minister Jaswant Singh’s son and sitting MLA from Rajasthan’s Sheo constituency who had joined the Congress in October, will take on CM Vasundhara Raje in Jhalrapatan, her hometurf since 2003, in the December 7 contest.
While Jaswant Singh — who has been in coma for four years — was expelled from the BJP in 2014 when he unsuccessfully contested as an independent candidate against the party’s official candidate from the Barmer parliamentary seat, his son was suspended for campaigning against the party’s official candidate.
“I’m ready for the challenge,” Manvendra Singh, 54, said after his name was declared as Ms Raje’s Congress challenger warned the BJP that the state’s people will take revenge from the BJP for insulting his father, a Rajput leader.
At the time of quitting the BJP on September 22, Manvendra Singh had said, “Kamal Ka Phool, Hamaari Bhool” (lotus was my mistake). He had also criticised the party’s style of functioning at the Centre and in the state and alleged rampant corruption in governance.
Reacting to the announcement of her challenger’s name, Ms Raje said that Manvendra Singh, a Rajput like her, was fielded by the Congress as it could not find any other candidate.
“The Congress could not find any candidate and he (Manvendra Singh) was to be given ticket from somewhere and therefore, he was sent here (Jhalrapatan),” Ms Raje said addressing the public after filing her nomination papers in Jhalawar district.
Her remark came a few hours after the Congress released it second list of 32 candidates, fielding Manvendra Singh against her from Jhalrapatan constituency. The Opposition party had declared 152 candidates in the first list on Thursday night.
At the time of filing nomination papers, the chief minister was accompanied by party leader Shahnawaz Hussain, her son and Jhalawar MP Dushyant Singh, among others.
Ms Raje has been winning Jhalrapatan since 2003. She retained it in the 2013 Assembly election with a margin of 60,896 votes by securing 63.14 per cent of the total 2,28,977 votes.
The BJP had won 163 seats in the 200-member Assembly in the 2013 elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP released its third list of eight candidates, dropping six sitting MLAs. The ruling party has so far declared 170 out of total 200 candidates for the December 7 election whose results will be declared on December 11.
Prominent MLA replaced in the third list include Sawai Madhopur’s sitting legislator and member of the Jaipur’s royal family Diya Kumari. The party has fielded Asha Kumari Meena from this key constituency.
