Amid speculation that he might be considered by the BJP as a candidate in the Rajasthan Assembly elections, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stated that he is not vying for the position of Chief Minister.
Similar to other states, the Bharatiya Janata Party has not officially announced a Chief Ministerial candidate in the Congress-governed state of Rajasthan. However, there is speculation that former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat could be potential contenders if the party secures victory.
'I am not in any kind of race'
In an interview to news agency PTI, he denied that he aspired for the top post in the state. “I am not in any kind of race. I only do the work my leadership and the organisation gives me to do. I have no aspiration or desire other than this,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that in its first list of 41 candidates, the BJP has nominated seven MPs for the assembly elections on November 25. There is speculation that the Jodhpur MP, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, might be asked to contest the state elections, potentially from the Sardarpura assembly constituency in Jodhpur, which is currently represented by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Shekhawat said that there haven hasn't been any discussion about this matter, but he would abide by any decision made by the party's top leadership. He further said that the BJP legislature party will make the decision regarding the chief minister's post, and this decision will subsequently be validated by the party's parliamentary board.
BJP will cross its record 2013 tally
Shekhawat predicted that the BJP would surpass its previous 2013 record of 163 seats in the 200-member Rajasthan House during this election.
He also dismissed allegations by some local leaders that they were denied the party nomination this time because they are in the Raje camp. “Tickets have been announced for 41 seats -- about 20 per cent seats. It is too early to draw conclusions from that,” he said.
He said Raje is a senior leader and is respected by people at all levels in the party. “There is no faction or group in the party and everyone is a 'karyakarta' (worker). The party decides who are the most suitable and gives them the responsibility of contesting the elections,” Shekhawat said, reacting to protests by some disgruntled ticket seekers.
Rajasthan elections
Rajasthan will go to polls on November 25 while the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Rajasthan has 200 total seats. In Rajasthan – which will see a direct fight between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on November 25 – anti-incumbency is an important factor. Since 1993, when the BJP came to power after a stint of President’s rule, the state has alternated between the Congress and the BJP.
In 2018, Congress won 100 seats in the 2018 Assembly polls. BJP followed at 73 seats while BSP garnered 6 seats. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) gathered 3 seats with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) mustering 2 seats each. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) managed to grab just one seat while there were 13 independent candidates in the 2018 Assembly Elections.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read: Rajasthan poll date changed from November 23 to November 25 due to 'large scale weddings'
