BJP picks probables for bypolls, Parnami says winnability the yardstick

The BJP sent the names of probable candidates for the Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh bypolls to the party’s parliamentary board on Friday after a marathon meeting of leaders and office-bearers

The BJP sent the names of probable candidates for the Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh bypolls to the party’s parliamentary board on Friday after a marathon meeting of leaders and office-bearers.

BJP president Ashok Parnami said a panel of two names for bypolls has been sent to the party’s parliamentary board that will take the final decision. (HT Photo)

Addressing the media after the meeting, state BJP president Ashok Parnami said a panel of two names has been sent to the board that will take the final decision.

“We held discussions with our leaders and workers on candidates. The chief minister too has got a personal survey about candidates. Based on feedback, we have finalised names to be sent to the parliamentary board,” he said.

“Winnability of the candidates is the basis for selection. We will contest the election on the Dholpur model.”

While the party did not declare the names, sources said late Sanwarlal Jat’s son Ramswaroop Lamba will be fielded from Ajmer and labour minister Jaswant Yadav from Alwar.

In Alwar, former BJP district president Sanjay Sharma’s name is also doing the rounds. From Ajmer, the other contender could be BJP (rural) district president BP Saraswat.

State incharge V Satish, chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Parnami, general secretary (organization) Chandrashekhar held meetings with party’s state office-bearers and district presidents over two days to discuss the candidates keeping in view the caste composition of the constituencies.

Referring to former Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s tweet that the government was laying the foundation stone for the Barmer refinery again after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had already laid it, Parnami said Gehlot should instead thank Raje as she had turned a loss-making proposition into a winning one and saved a lot of money for the state.

He said preparations are on for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to lay the refinery foundation stone on January 14. “There will be around 3 lakh workers from Jodhpur division for the mega event.”

On crop loan waiver, Parnami said the government did not want to replicate Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra where the waiver was implemented in a hurry and did not benefit farmers. “The ministerial sub-committee has studied models of UP, Kerala, Maharashtra. Based on its recommendations and the state’s financial situation, we will take a decision in the interest of the farmers.”