Jaipur: Voting will take place today for 20 out of 25 seats in Rajasthan where 239 contestants are in fray, including 13 sitting MPs and expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh.
BJP and Congress parties have fielded twenty candidates each, AAP 19, BSP 18, CPM and CPI three each and NCP one. The candidates also include 88 Independents.
Congress and BJP are in a direct fight on 12 seats which include Jaipur, Ajmer, Banswara, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur, Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Kota.
A triangular contest could be witnessed in Barmer, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Ganganangar, Jalore, Nagaur, Sikar, with Congress and BJP candidates facing challenge from rebels candidates, BSP, Rajasthan Loktantrik Party (a joint front of five national parties), AAP or Independents.
Barmer is in limelight with rebel BJP leader Jaswant Singh entering the contest as an Independent against BJP's Colonel Sona Ram and Congress' sitting MP Harish Choudhary.
Ram was earlier with Congress. Jaswant had raised the banner of revolt after he was denied ticket and was expelled from BJP.
Congress nominee C P Joshi is pitted against the Olympic medal winner Rajyvardhan Singh Rathore from Jaipur-rural seat. Joshi is a sitting MP from Bhilwara.
PCC president and Union Minister Sachin Pilot, who is contesting from Ajmer, would be facing a tough battle against BJP Minister Sanwarlal Jat. BJP had won all the seats under this parliamentary constituency in the Assembly polls in December last.
In Jhalawar, Dushyant Singh, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and a sitting MP, is pitted against Congress' Pramod Jain Bhaya.
There are 17 women contestants including Congress' sitting MPs Chandresh Kumari from Jodhpur, Girija Vyas from Chittorgarh and Jyoti Mirdha from Nagaur and new entrants Rajbala Ola from Jhunjhunu, Resham Valviya from Banswara and BJP's Santosh Ahlawat from Jhunjhunu seats.
