Serving IPS officer Pankaj Chaudhary’s wife Mukul Chaudhary, who had earlier declared that she would contest from Jhalarapatan constituency against chief minister Vasundhara Raje, visited 10 Janpath, New Delhi, the official residence of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday, fuelling speculations of the party giving her a ticket.

Mukul Chaudhary, who is currently not associated with any political party, has been preparing to contest against Raje from Jhalarapatan assembly constituency.

Although Mukul Chaudhary chose to remain silent over such speculations, she admitted that she visited Gandhi’s residence and met the Congress leaders.

When asked about her visit, she said, “Congress President Rahul Gandhi recently talked about giving tickets to youth and women candidates to boost their participation in politics. That is why I decided to meet the Congress leaders.” “A woman candidate against another woman is the best contest and so I am preparing to contest against Raje,” she said.

Mukul said that in the absence of any serious candidate in opposition in Jhalarapatan, she has decided to contest against Raje since people want change now.

Speculations are rife that Mukul Chaudhary may contest as Congress candidate against Raje from Jhalarapatan since Congress has not yet announced its candidate from the constituency.

Congress has never been able to register victory against Raje on Jhalarapatan seat since she started to contest from 2003. Sachin Pilot’s mother, Rama pilot, Ex Congress MLA, Mohanlal Rathore and Ex MLA, Meenakshi Chandrawat have lost to Raje in 2003, 2008 and 2013 assembly polls respectively.

While Raje will contest for the fourth time from Jhalarapatan constituency and would file her nomination papers on November 16, other political parties, except Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), are yet to announce their candidates against Raje. BSP has announced Ghayas Ahmad Khan as its candidate in Jhalarapatan.

Mukul is the daughter of former woman law minister Shashi Dutta in the Bhairon Singh Shekhawat government in 1993. Her father Som Dutta is a retired Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) officer.

“Jhalarapatan is my birthplace where my father got his first posting and my mother worked as a criminal lawyer,” said convent educated Mukul, who did her graduation from International College for Girls, Jaipur. She is currently pursuing law studies. Mukul’s husband Pankaj Chaudhary, a 2009 batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, is presently posted as the superintendent of police, State Crime Records Bureau.

Pankaj was transferred during the former Congress government for opening the crime records of Gazi Fakir in western Rajasthan. He was also shifted as SP from Bundi district under the present BJP government after he arrested over a dozen saffron brigade activists accused of rioting in Nainwa region. Pankaj was also served a chargesheet by the Raje government.

First Published: Nov 14, 2018 11:03 IST