Lok Sabha Polls: Congress fields Manvendra Singh from Barmer, Ashok Gehlots son to contest from Jodhpur

Congress has fielded Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav from Jodhpur

The Congress late Thursday night issued a list of 31 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav from Jodhpur and former BJP leader Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra from Barmer.

The party's latest list has 19 candidates for Rajasthan and six each for Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. With this, the number of total candidates announced by the party for the Lok Sabha polls has reached 293.

In Rajasthan, the party has fielded former Union minister Jitendra Singh from Alwar, senior leaders Ramnarayan Meena from Kota, Savita Meena from Dausa (ST), Jyoti Khandelwal from Jaipur, Namo Narayan Meena from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur and Jyoti Mirdha from Nagaur, among others.

Jodhpur is considered as the stronghold of Ashok Gehlot which may work in favor of Vaibhav in the polls.

Polling in Rajasthan on 25 seats will be held on April 29 (Phase 4) and May 6 (Phase 5).

In Gujarat, the party announced Jagdish Thakor from Patan and Lalit Kagathara from Rajkot, among others.

Jitu Chaudhary, MLA from Kaprada (ST) seat, was named as the Congress candidate from Valsad seat. The four-term MLA would take on BJP nominee and sitting MP KC Patel from Valsad, which is considered a bellwether seat. The Congress has fielded Lalit Vasoya, the MLA from Dhoraji seat, as its candidate from Porbandar. The seat would see a direct fight between Vasoya, a first-term MLA, and BJP candidate Ramesh Dhaduk, who would be contesting his first LS election.

Lalit Kagathara, MLA from Tankara seat, was named as the candidate from Rajkot seat. The first-term MLA would take on sitting MP and former union minister Mohan Kundariya from the prestigious seat.

Former MP Jagdish Thakor was named as the candidate for the Patan Lok Sabha seat. Thakor had won from the Patan seat in 2009. The seat is presently held by Liladhar Vaghela of BJP.

The Congress also announced the candidature of VK Khant from Panchmahal seat. Khant, an influential OBC leader, is the father of Morva Hadaf MLA Bhupendra Khant. He would take on MLA and BJP candidate Ratansinh Rathod.

Polling in Gujarat on 26 seats will take place on April 23.

In Uttar Pradesh, it fielded Maj. JP Singh (Retd) from Sambhal and Niaz Ahmed from Deoria and Pankaj Niranjan from Phulpur.

It has named Brahm Swaroop Sagar its candidate from Saharanpur, Abhinav Saran Kushwah from Jhansi and Tanushree Tripathi from Maharajganj.

Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in seven phases, from April 11 to May 19.

Results of the polls will be declared on May 23.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)




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