India: Rajasthan: BJP may field fresh faces in at least half of the seats

  • The BJP may field fresh faces in at least half the seats in the upcoming assembly election in Rajasthan in an attempt to overcome the anti-incumbency that the ruling party is facing according to the feedback programmes it has held across the state.
  • Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is facing increasing pressure from party workers over negative feedback on many of her cabinet colleagues and sitting MLAs, said BJP functionaries. This might lead the party to change candidates in at least 100 of the total 200 constituencies, they said.
  • “There are indications that around six cabinet ministers will get the axe,” a senior BJP leader, who is part of the party’s election management committee, said on condition of anonymity.
  • Rajasthan has had a history of voting out candidates repeated by the ruling party. In 2008, the BJP gave tickets to 68 candidates who had also contested the 2003 election.
  • Only 28 of them won while 40 sitting MLAs including 13 ministers lost the election. Similarly, in 2013, the ruling Congress fielded 105 candidates who had contested the 2008 election as well. Only 14 won of them the election.

External Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/rajasthan-assembly-elections/rajasthan-election-2018-bjp-may-field-fresh-faces-in-at-least-100-out-of-200-seats/articleshow/66254194.cms

17-Oct-2018