JAIPUR: The state
BJP is all set to launch its campaign in three constituencies for which bypolls are scheduled to be held on January 29 and counting of votes on February 1. The process of filing nominations began on Wednesday, though no one filed on day one. The last day for filing is January 10.
Late in the night on Wednesday, chief minister
Vasundhara Raje met party president Amit Shah in Delhi. She is also expected to meet national organizational secretary Ramlal, following which the names of party candidates are expected to be announced.
The bypolls are to being held for the
Lok Sabha constituencies of Ajmer and Alwar along with the assembly constituency of Mandalgarh in Bhilwara district.
During a day-long meeting last week, the BJP finalised a panel of the most 'winnable' candidates and forwarded the same to the party high command. Accordingly, the most probable names are Ram Swaroop Lamba from Ajmer,
Jaswant Singh Yadav from Alwar and Shakti Singh Hada from Mandalgarh.
Prior to leaving for Delhi, Raje presided over a meeting of ministers in-charge of concerned districts, and directed them to campaign for candidates in constituencies in a dedicated manner after the names are declared. "It's only a matter of time before the names of candidates are announced. Once it's done, we will immediately start campaigning in all three constituencies," said
Gajendra Singh Khimsar, cabinet minister in-charge of party affairs in Alwar. Khimsar, who was part of the meeting, said the party has already done its ground work in all three constituencies and was ready to face the bypolls.
"It is always more difficult defending a seat. Since all the three seats were ours, we have to work a little harder," he said.
When asked whether minister Jaswant Singh Yadav, who had picked up a nomination form to contest from the Alwar Lok Sabha seat, would be BJP's candidate, Khimsar said, "It's a probability."
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje (file photo)
