Jaipur, Nov 19: The BJP Wednesday announced its second list of 31 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly election, dropping 15 sitting MLAs, included three ministers.

The BJP has so far announced the names of 162 candidates in the 200-member assembly.

BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja, who hit the national headlines at the height of the JNU controversy in 2016 for his remarks that thousands of condoms were found on the university campus daily, was also dropped. He represents Ramgarh in Alwar district in the current assembly.

However, on Sunday, Ahuja surprised party workers when he announced that he will be contesting as an independent candidate from the Sanganer constituency. Minutes after sending his resignation to the party president, Madan Lal Saini, Ahuja said for safeguarding Hindutva and cows he has made his mind to field himself as an independent candidate from Sanganer constituency.

Speaking to ANI, Ahuja, who was denied a ticket by BJP said,''Protesting against the dictatorial attitude of BJP, I have resigned from primary membership of the party. I will contest as an Independent on issues like Ram Janmabhoomi, cow protection and Hindutva.''

Former BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari had won from the Sanganer seat in Jaipur in the 2013 elections. He quit the BJP in June this year over his differences with chief minister Vasundhara Raje and floated his own party.