Over 50 of the 200 assembly constituencies in Rajasthan will see a triangular contest with rebels from both the BJP and the Congress remaining in the fray as independent candidates on many of these seats.
There will be three-way contests also for seats where other independents and parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party are challenging the two major parties.
The BJP Thursday night suspended four Rajasthan ministers from the party for six years for not withdrawing their nomination papers in favour of the official nominees.
Three other sitting MLAs who insisted on contesting again as independents in the December 7 elections were similarly punished. The party called the action ”expulsion” for six years.
Surendra Goyal (Jaitaran), Hem Singh Bhadana (Thanagaji), Dhan Singh Rawat (Banswara), Rajkumar Rinwa (Ratangarh) are the four rebel ministers.
They stop being party members but have not been sacked as ministers. The sittings MLAs affected by the recent action are Navnit Lal Ninama (Dungarpur), Kishnaram Nai (Shridungararh) and Anita Katara (Sagwara).
Other BJP leaders like Radheyshaym Ganganagar (Sriganganagar), former minister Laxminarayan Dave (Marwar junction), Deendayal Kumawat (Phulera) are also making the contest tougher for the BJP.
The BJP is expected to act against more leaders.
Senior BJP and Congress leaders remained busy till Thursday - the last day for withdrawing nominations - in their efforts to make the rebels step down.
The BJP managed to persuade MLAs Gyan Dev Ahuja, Bhawani Singh Rajawat, Taru Rai Kaga and Alka Gurjar from contesting against the party nominees after being denied tickets.
In the Congress, former Union minister Mahadev Singh Khandela (Khandela), former Rajasthan minister Babulal Nagar (Dudu), former MLA Nathuram Sinodia (Kishangarh) are among those who have turned rebels on being denied party nominations.
They are contesting as independent candidates, who may encroach into the party’s vote share.
“Disciplinary action was taken against some of the leaders, which is a routine process. There will be no impact of any rebel candidate and we will win a majority of the seats,” Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said.
There are 2,294 candidates fighting the elections in which the main contest is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
Altogether 3,293 candidates had filed nomination papers. The papers of 420 candidates were rejected after scrutiny while 579 candidates withdrew their nomination.
With this, 2294 candidates are left in the field.
The BJP is contesting all 200 seats while the Congress has fielded its candidates on 195 seats and entered into alliances on five seats.
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, formed by independent MLA and Jat leader Hanuman Beniwal, is contesting 58 seats. Former BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari’s Bharat Vahini Party has fielded 63 candidates.
The BSP is contesting 191 seats and the Aam Aadmi Party 143.
