Rajasthan polls: CM Gehlot, Dhariwal, rebels file nominations on last day

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal were among those filing their nominations for the November 25 assembly polls on the last day on Monday.

Several rebel leaders belonging to both the BJP and the Congress also filed nomination papers as independent candidates.

BJP rebels Chandrabhan Singh Aakya, Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, Yoonus Khan, Kailash Meghwal and Ravindra Singh Bhati filed nomination papers as independent candidates from Chittorgarh, Jhotwara, Deedwana, Shahpura and Sheo respectively.

Congress rebels Shiv Prasad Meena, Gaurav Sharma, Rupesh Sharma and Rakesh Boyat filed their nominations for different seats in Kota and Bundi.

Ravindra Singh Bhati, a former student union president of Jai Narain Vyas University of Jodhpur, had recently joined the BJP and was expecting the party ticket from Barmer's Sheo constituency but he was denied a ticket following which he filed nomination papers as an independent candidate.

Rajpal Singh, who was denied ticket from Jaipur's Jhotwara constituency, said that the party workers are unhappy with the party's official candidate.

Jaipur Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is contesting the elections from the Jhotwara constituency.

The BJP also denied ticket to MLA Chandrabhan Singh Aakya in Chittorgarh and fielded Narpat Singh Rajvi in his place.

Aakya said he waited for the party to change its decision till the last moment and when no changes were made, he filed his nomination papers.

Former minister Yoonus khan, considered close to Vasundhara Raje, filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Nagaur's Deedwana seat. He was denied ticket by the party.

He contested the 2018 assembly elections from Tonk seat against Sachin Pilot and lost.

Also, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal filed his nomination from Shahpura in Bhilwara. He was also denied ticket. Meghwal sometime back had accused union minister Arjun Meghwal of corruption following which he was issued a notice for indiscipline.

In Ladpura in Kota, former BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat filed nomination papers as an independent candidate after the party fielded Kalpna Devi.

Sports Minister Ashok Chandana filed nomination as a Congress candidate from the Hindoli assembly seat in Bundi, where state Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Punjab state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja addressed a large public meeting in his support.

In Jodhpur, Chief Minister Gehlot filed his nomination while Dhariwal filed his papers in Kota. Dhariwal's name was announced in the list of candidates released by the party Sunday night.

Dhariwal is contesting from the Kota North constituency while Gehlot is fighting from Sardarpura in Jodhpur.

Dhariwal is pitted against the BJP's Prahlad Gunjal.

The minister held a roadshow and appealed to people to teach a lesson to his opponent so that he can never dare to think of contesting from Kota North.

BJP candidate Prahlad Gunjal lashed out at Dhariwal and said he was termed as the most corrupt in Rajasthan by every Congress man.

Speaking to the media after filing his nomination, Dhariwal, on the party's decision to drop Mahesh Joshi and deny ticket to Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore, said that such things happen.

Dhariwal, Joshi and Rathore were served notices by the party for indiscipline after Congress MLAs of the Ashok Gehlot camp skipped a Congress Legislature Party meeting called at the chief minister's residence in Jaipur in September last year and held a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence to oppose any move of the party to appoint Sachin Pilot as the chief minister.

Gehlot was in the race for the Congress president post at that time.

Monday was the last day for filing nominations for the November 25 assembly elections in Rajasthan. Votes will be counted December 3.