More than four days after the nomination process for poll-bound Rajasthan started, the Congress party released its first list of 152 candidates well past Thursday midnight.
The list includes heavyweights former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, former union ministers C. P. Joshi and Girjija Vyas. While Mr Gehlot will be contesting from his traditional seat of Sadarpura, Mr Pilot has been fielded from Tonk, that comes under Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Parliamentary constituency.
While former Union Minister C.P. Joshi is contesting from his traditional seat of Nathdwara, Ms Girjija Vyas will be contesting from Udaipur.
With Rajasthan being viewed as one tne of the most favourable States, there has been intense lobbying for Congress tickets. Several BJP lawmakers such as Manvendra Singh, son of BJP veteran Jaswant Singh and Dausa MP Harish Meena have joined the party recently. "Ticket seekers and their supporters have been camping for days outside the party headquarters. If their names don't figure in the list, they get agitated. To why the list came out this late," a Congress functionary said explaining the late release of the list.
The Congress party is expected to announce the remaining 48 seats in the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly soon.
