RS polls: Accompanied by party big-wigs, 2 BJP candidates file nomination in Raj

Jaipur: BJP candidates for Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan -- Madan Rathore and Chunnilal Garasia -- filed their nominations on Thursday for the biennial polls scheduled on February 27.

Both Rathore and Garasia submitted two sets of nomination papers each to returning officer Mahaveer Prasad Sharma.

While Garasiya was accompanied by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, BJP MP C.P. Joshi, former CM Vasundhara Raje and ex-minister Rajendra Rathore, Madan Rathore was accompanied by the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa, and Vasundhara Raje.

Thursday was the last day for filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections for three seats in the state.

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had filed her nomination from Rajasthan on Wednesday.

So far, only three candidates have filed their nomination after the BJP on Monday declared Garasiya and Madan Rathore as its candidates from Rajasthan for the Upper House.

Rathore is an ex-MLA who became a member of the Legislative Assembly for the first time in 2003, before being elected again in 2013. From 2013 to 2018, he was the deputy chief whip in the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.

Garasiya is a former state minister and has held many positions in the party. He is currently the vice-president of the party's state unit.

After filing his nomination, Madan Rathore said that when he didn't get a ticket for last year's Assembly polls, he was told that he would get new opportunities.

"I will try to work in the interest of Rajasthan," he said.

Garasia said that he was preparing for the Lok Sabha elections from Udaipur, but the party had something else in mind for him.

The tenures of the present Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan -- Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) -- will end on April 3. Election will also be held for a vacant seat as BJP's Rajya Sabha member Kirodi Lal Meena had resigned in December after being elected as an MLA.

There are 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan. At present, six are from the Congress while three are from the BJP.