Jaipur. There has been a stir in the political circles regarding the elections to be held on 3 Rajya Sabha seats of Rajasthan on June 18. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sent its panel of candidates to the high command after holding a core committee meeting two days ago, a phase of internal lobbying has started in the Congress. At present, four major contenders are in the race for the vacant seat of Congress. Two of these are considered to be supporters of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, while one leader is lobbying directly through Rahul Gandhi. At the same time, there is a senior face who is considered the strongest on the basis of his merit without any lobbying. Will a local face get a chance in place of Neeraj Dangi?
There are a total of 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, out of which BJP and Congress currently have 5 seats each. On June 21, the tenure of BJP’s Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rajendra Gehlot and Congress’s Neeraj Dangi is ending.
It is noteworthy that out of 5 Congress Rajya Sabha MPs from Rajasthan, 4 (Sonia Gandhi, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Kumar Tiwari) are from outside states. Only Neeraj Dangi is a local leader. According to sources, in view of the abundance of outside leaders, this time the Congress high command may bet on a local face from Rajasthan itself.
3 prominent faces active in lobbying
1. Neeraj Dangi (Current MP):
Neeraj Dangi, considered close to Ashok Gehlot, is trying to extend his tenure. He is in constant touch with National President Mallikarjun Kharge to go to Rajya Sabha again.
2. Dinesh Khodnia (Former District President, Dungarpur):
Claiming to have strong political influence in Mewar and Vagad region, Khodniya is also in the race. However, after the arrest of former RPSC member Babulal Katara in the paper leak case, Khodnia and his close associates have been raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is being considered as their weakness.
3. Pawan Kheda (National Spokesperson):
Pawan Khera, originally born in Udaipur (Mewar), is strengthening his claim this time through Rahul Gandhi. However, his education and politics have been Delhi-centric and he has never been seen active in Rajasthan. Let us tell you that on not getting a ticket in the 2022 Rajya Sabha elections, Kheda had written an emotional post on ‘X’ saying – “Maybe there was something lacking in my penance.”
Dr. CP Joshi: At the forefront of the race without lobbying
According to party sources, former Assembly Speaker Dr. CP Joshi currently remains the first choice of the high command. Staying away from any kind of lobbying, he is the strongest contender on the basis of his administrative and organizational abilities.
Congress can get a big political advantage in Mewar region by sending Dr. Joshi, who has long experience of being a Union Minister, MP, MLA and holding big positions at the state and national level, to the Rajya Sabha. The party believes that giving a big platform to a strong local face like Joshi will connect regional sensitivities and generate new enthusiasm among the workers.
Current Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from Rajasthan and their tenure:
Sonia Gandhi: From April 2024 to April 2030.
Randeep Surjewala: From July 2022 to July 2028.
Mukul Wasnik: From July 2022 to July 2028.
Pramod Kumar Tiwari: From July 2022 to July 2028.
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