Lok Sabha, assembly bypolls to be held on January 29

JAIPUR: The much-anticipated bypolls to the Lok Sabha constituencies of Alwar and Ajmer, and the assembly constituency of Mandalgarh will be held on January 29.
The dates and the schedule for bypolls were announced on Thursday by the Election Commission (EC).

While notification for the bypolls will be issued on January 3, the last day for filing nominations is January 10.

They will be scrutinized on January 11 and the last day for withdrawing nominations is January 15. The counting of votes will be held on February 1. The model code of conduct will come into force in the districts immediately.

In a move that took the ruling front by surprise, the Congress announced Dr Karan Singh Yadav as its candidate for Alwar on Sunday.

The party though has not announced its candidates for Ajmer and Mandalgarh in Bhilwara.

Meanwhile, BJP has not yet finalised its candidates. On Thursday, chief minister Vasundhara Raje along with state party in-charge Avinash Rai and state party president Ashok Parnami held day-long deliberations with office-bearers and elected representatives of Ajmer, Alwar and Bhilwara, seeking suggestions on probable candidates for the three seats.

In a series of meetings held at a private heritage hotel in Jaipur, district presidents, presidents of the various wings of the party from these three districts were directed to name the three most-winnable candidates. These would be shortlisted and sent to the party high command.

Late on Thursday night, the state unit's election committee finalised a panel of names to be sent to the high command.

"The party high command will finalise and announce the candidates," said a senior party official.

The stakes are higher for the ruling party, which is currently holding all the three seats, than the opposition. The BJP is keen to retain all the three seats, where elections are being held following the demise of its elected representatives.

BJP's Ajmer MP Sanwar Lal Jat and Mandalgarh MLA Kirti Kumari passed away on August 9 and August 28, respectively. While Jat had suffered a massive heart attack, Kirti Kumari died while being treated for swine flu. Party's Alwar MP Mahant Chand Nath passed away on September 17 after a prolonged illness.