Ajmer bypolls: Congress to field Sachin Pilot against Sanwar Lal Jat’s son!

Jaipur: The upcoming Alwar and Ajmer bypolls are being seen as a big opportunity as well as a challenge for Congress and ruling BJP in Rajasthan. For the Ajmer parliamentary seat, Congress may field the party’s state president Sachin Pilot while BJP may go with late Sanwar Lal Jat’s son Ramswaroop Lamba.

BJP is still looking for a suitable candidate for the Alwar assembly seat while Congress is likely to go with former union minister Jitendra Singh. Along with these two constituencies, bypolls are to be held for the Mandalgarh assembly constituency as well.

These bypolls are expected to be closely contested and has already generated a lot of interest.

The by-polls are being seen as a semi-final before the state goes to polls next year. The result of Panchayat bypolls was announced recently and the Congress did well to win 12 seats. BJP also managed to win an equal number of seats, however, has reasons to worry as their rival party seems to be making a mark after a relatively dull period.

Congress faces a dilemma if they opt for Sachin Pilot for the Ajmer seat. The party cannot use his expertise for campaigning in Alwar and Mandalgarh. The BJP meanwhile will try to cash in on the sympathy wave following the sudden demise of Sanwar Lal Jat and thereby may opt for his son.

The Alwar seat is where BJP still seems unsure about who to field. Traditionally the seat has been a contest between the Yadavs and the non-Yadavs of the region. If the Congress decides to go ahead with the experience of Jitendra Singh, the BJP may have to choose someone from the Yadav community to contest against him. The party could also find a suitable person from the saint community to replace late Mahant Chandnath.