Cong appoints three in-charges on seven Rajasthan Assembly seats for bypolls

Jaipur: Congress on Tuesday announced the names of party in-charges for the seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan where by-elections are likely to be held.

Congress has entrusted the responsibility of victory to three leaders in the desert state -- Chiranjiv Rao, Rutvik Makwana and Poonam Paswan.

According to the notification, Chiranjeev Rao, who lost the Assembly elections in Haryana a week ago, will take the responsibility of ensuring the victory of Congress in Jhunjhunu, Khinvsar and Ramgarh Assembly constituencies. Similarly, Rutvik Makwana will play an important role in the Salumbhar and Chaurasi Assembly constituencies. Poonam Paswan will take charge of the Dausa and Deoli-Uniara Assembly seats.

Congress announced these names just ahead of the Election Commission of India's poll schedule announcement for Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The biggest challenge before Congress is its allies, including RLP and BAP, who have refused to tie up with the oldest party.

Five out of the seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan fell vacant after the concerned MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha polls.

These include Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli Uniara, Chaurasi and Khinsar. Two seats went vacant after the death of MLAs -- Ramgarh and Salumber. While Ramgarh had a Congress MLA, Salumber had a BJP MLA.

Out of these seven seats, four were occupied by Congress, one by BJP, one by RLD and the other one by BAP.

Now as bypolls are scheduled soon, all the parties are claiming victory on these seats. Discussions are going on within the Congress and the BJP over the selection of candidates. Whereas BAP and RLD have already refused to ally, this time the biggest challenge before Congress is to save its four seats.

Out of the seven seats, BJP had the Salumbhar seat, while Congress had won Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli Uniyara and Ramgarh, one seat with Bharatiya Adivasi Party and one with RLP.

Congress' Murari Lal Meena became MP from Dausa. Congress fielded MLA Brijendra Ola who reached Parliament by winning from the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha seat.

Harish Meena, a close aide of Sachin Pilot, was elected MLA for the second consecutive time from the Deoli-Uniyara Assembly seat of Tonk district. Congress fielded him from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in the Lok Sabha elections and he defeated two-time BJP MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria.

Meanwhile, in the Chuarasi seat, Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) MLA Rajkumar Roat became an MP and this seat of Dungarpur district went vacant.

Similarly, Hanuman Beniwal, MLA from Khinvsar contested Lok Sabha polls and emerged winner and the seat went vacant.

Over 19.36,502 voters will cast their votes in these bypolls, said the Election Commission on Tuesday.