Hopefuls start race to contest bypolls to five assembly seats in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: With five legislators from the Rajasthan assembly making their way to Parliament, the race to fill their shoes in the state has already begun, with potential candidates pushing their names.
Of the five assembly vacancies, three belonged to the Congress - Harish Meena, who won from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur LS constituency, had vacated the Deoli-Uniara seat; Brijendra Ola vacated Jhunjhunu assembly seat to win LS polls; while Murari Meena won from Dausa LS seat leaving the same assembly segment.Additionally, BAP's Rajkumar Roat won from Banswara vacating the Chorasi assembly seat; and RLP's Hanuman Beniwal won from Nagaur leaving Khinvsar.

Both BAP and RLP, which were a part of the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha polls, have asserted that they would put up their own candidates for the bypolls, regardless of the alliance or not.
Congress's allies say they will not vacate seats
Congress, meanwhile, feels they have the primary claim to both these seats as the partners won the LS polls with their support.
"It's premature, but the reality is that if Congress had not supported them, the probability of their candidates winning the LS seats would have been nil. I believe our alliance partners will not oppose our claim and assist us in strengthening Congress," said a party leader requesting anonymity.
Four-time MLA Brijendra Ola, the son of four-time MP Sis Ram Ola, already wants his son, Amit Ola, to contest the bypoll from Jhunhunu, to extend the family's dominance in the region. A segment of local leaders want a Muslim candidate as the Congress did not field any minority aspirant in the Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, Sachin Pilot is expected to influence selection in Deoli-Uniara and Dausa assembly segments. "In both the seats - Dausa and Deoli-Uniara - Pilot will have a say," said a party source.
Congress allies have made it clear that they would not relinquish their seats to the party. Mohan Roat, national president of BAP, said his party would contest the bypoll from Chorasi. "There is no question of giving it to the Congress. People voted for BAP which defeated both the Congress and BJP candidates in assembly polls. I expected Congress to support out candate like they did in Banswara LS polls," Roat said.
An RLP leader said the younger brother, Narayan Beniwal, of the national president, Hanuman Beniwal, is the party's choice for Khinvsar. "It is understood that Narayan will contest the polls, considering that Khinvsar is the political bastion of Hanuman Beniwal," he said.
BJP looks to increase its assembly tally from 115 to 120 in these bypolls. Minister Kirori Lal Meena hinted at staking claims to the two seats of Deoli-Uniara and Dausa.