Lok Sabha elections: BJP core panel meet ends midway after Goa CM Manohar Parrikar's death

JAIPUR: The core committee of Rajasthan BJP on Sunday held discussions with the party general secretary Ram Lal in Delhi on the short-listed candidates for Lok Sabha polls. But the meeting was called off midway as they were informed about the death of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

The meeting was earlier scheduled with BJP president Amit Shah.

But as the reports of Parrikar’s critical medical condition came in the afternoon, Shah cancelled all his meetings.

The meeting was attended by BJP election in-charge Prakash Javadaker, state in charge Avinash Rai Khanna, state party president Madan Lal Saini, leader of opposition in state assembly Gulab Chand Kataria and MLA from Churu Rajendra Singh Rathore. They have been told to stay in Delhi for the next round of meeting.

“The meeting couldn’t be completed due to the death of Parrikarji. Before the meeting was called off, we had a serious discussion on some candidates. Nothing has been finalized on any seat at the moment,” said Saini.

The death of Parrikar has put the state BJP behind its schedule and the first list is now expected to come after Holi (March 20-21). The elections are due on April 29 and May 6 in Rajasthan.

The Union minister of environment, forest and climate change Mahesh Sharma’s bid to contest from Alwar was also part of the agenda. However, due to limited time it was not discussed. The minister had won from Gautam Buddha Nagar in 2014 polls.

Saini apprised Ram Lal on the growing unrest among the BJP leaders in Bikaner and Pali against sitting MPs Arjunlal Meghwal and PP Chaudhary, respectively.

The in-flight in these two LS segments has intensified as senior BJP leader Devi Singh Bhati had resigned from the party speculating his arch rival Meghwal to be the front runner for the ticket while leaders in Pali have threatened to quit if the ticket was given to Chaudhary.

During the meeting, the core committee learnt that Rajsamand MP Hari Om Singh has refused to contest polls. His name was there in the list of short-listed candidates from Rajsamand. The highest number of short-listed candidates were from Ajmer, followed by the Bharatpur, Dholpur-Karauli, Ganganagar and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.