Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023: Here Are 95 Candidates Announced By Congress So Far

The Congress on Thursday released its third list of 19 candidates for the November 25 Rajasthan assembly elections, taking to 95 the total number of nominees declared by the party so far.

In this list, the ruling party in the state has included 13 sitting MLAs, including a Cabinet minister. The Congress has fielded Shobha Rani Kushwah from Dholpur, Rajendra Prateek from Sikar, Wajib Ali from Nagar, Harish Chandra Meena from Deoli-Uniara, Heera lal Darangi from Jhalod (ST) and Lakhan Singh Meena from Karauli, among others, according to the third list declared by the party.

Wajib Ali and Lakhan Singh Meena are among six MLAs who were elected in the 2018 assembly elections on the BSP symbol but later joined the Congress.

The party has cut the ticket of Sahada MLA Gayatri Devi and instead, fielded Rajendra Trivedi from the seat.

The Congress has fielded Motiram Koli from Reodar, CL Premi from Keshoraipatan, Shrawan Kumar from Surajgarh and Pusaram Godara from Ratangarh.

On October 22, the Congress released its second list of 43 candidates. In the list, the party fielded 35 sitting MLAs, including 15 state ministers and former chief secretary Niranjan Arya.

The list also contains the names of five MLAs who won in the 2018 assembly elections as independents and supported the Congress government during the political crisis in 2020. Three women ministers -- Shakuntala Rawat, Naseem Akhtar Insaf and Sushila Dudi -- are also in the list. Former chief secretary Niranjan Arya has been fielded from the Sojat (SC) seat.

State ministers Govind Ram Meghwal and B D Kalla have been fielded from Khajuwala (Scheduled Caste) and Bikaner West, respectively. Minister of State for Higher Education Rajendra Singh Yadav was fielded from the Kotputli seat.

Minister Parsadi Lal Meena has been fielded from Lalsot, Sukhram Vishnoi from Sanchore, Arjun Lal Bamaniya from Banswara, Udai Lal Anjana from Nimbahera, Ramlal Jat from Mandal and Pramod Jain Bhaya from Anta.

The first list of 33 candidates was released on October 21. Congress has fielded Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura and his former deputy Sachin Pilot from Tonk.

The party has fielded Archana Sharma from Malviya Nagar and Pushpendra Bharadwaj from Sanganer. Both of them had lost the last elections.

Speaker C P Joshi will contest from his Nathdwara assembly seat and Congress state unit president Govind Singh Dotasra from Lachhmangarh. Former minister Harish Chaudhary will contest from Baytoo and minister Mamata Bhupesh from Sikrai-SC seat.