BJP fields Yunus Khan from Tonk against Pilot

Jaipur, Nov 19 (IANS) The BJP on Monday, in its final list for the Rajasthan Assembly polls, changed its candidate from Tonk and fielded PWD Minister Yunus Khan against Congress state unit chief Sachin Pilot.

Khan replaced Ajit Singh on the final day of filing of nomination for the December 7 elections. He is also the only Muslim candidate fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party while Congress has 15 Muslim candidates.

BJP Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna on Friday had called Pilot a "fugitive" for leaving his Ajmer parliamentary seat and choosing Tonk to contest his first assembly poll.

Khanna said those who leave their home are called "fugitives. Now people of Rajasthan will call Sachin Pilot a fugitive".

Reacting to BJP’s changing its candidate, Pilot only said: "This is an internal matter of the BJP; it’s their choice as to whom they want to field from which seat."

Khan has been a Public Work Department Minister in the Vasundhara Raje government. His supporters had protested at the BJP office when he did not get a ticket from Deedwana in the initial list. However, Khan had said that he would serve the party anyhow.

Tonk hit the headlines immediately after the party gave Singh, the sitting MLA, a ticket.

Mass resinations were sent to BJP’s state unit chief Madanlal Saini. Workers expressed their anguish at Singh’s nomination who according to them lacked leadership qualities.

The counting of votes will be on December 11.