Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018: Congress fields Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra against Vasundhara from Jhalrapatan

Rajathan Assembly Elections 2018: Congress releases second list of candidates

The Congress party on Saturday released its second list of 32 candidates for the upcoming assembly election in Rajasthan. The grand-old-party has fielded former BJP leader Manvendra Singh from Jhalrapatan against CM Vasundhara Raje. 

Manvendra Singh won as a BJP candidate from the Sheo assembly constituency of Barmer district in 2013 assembly polls. 

Assembly Elections 2018: Full Coverage

His father Jaswant Singh was denied ticket by the party in 2014 Lok Sabha elections following which he (Jaswant Singh) contested elections as an independent candidate and lost the seat to BJP's Sonaram, who had joined the party from the Congress and was backed by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

The decision of not allowing Jaswant Singh to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls antagonised the Rajput community that held Raje responsible for neglecting Jaswant Singh for an "outsider" Sonaram.

There was resentment among his supporters who rallied after Manvendra Singh making it an issue of their 'swabhiman'.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held in single phase on December 7, 2018. In the last elections in 2013, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won a majority in the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly. 

Results for Rajasthan Assembly elections 2018 will be declared on December 11 along with results of Assembly elections in four other states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

The tenure of Rajasthan Assembly ends on January 20, 2019.

The last date for filing of nominations is November 19 and scrutiny of nominations will be on November 20, 2018. 

Last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 22, 2018. 

Voting will take place on December 7 and counting of votes is scheduled for December 11, 2018.

As per the Election Commission, the election process must be completed before December 13, 2018.

While the main contest in Rajasthan is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and other smaller parties are also eyeing a good share of seats.

There are 34 SC and 25 ST seats out of the total 200 seats in Rajasthan Assembly.

(With agency inputs)