It’s Raje’s lieutenant versus Sachin Pilot in Tonk

TONK: The high-profile electoral tie in Tonk has apparently become a battle of pride between chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Congress chief Sachin Pilot. It was at the consistent persuasion of Raje that BJP replaced RSS-backed sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta with transport minister Yoonus Khan – the lone Muslim face in the BJP line-up for the Rajasthan election.

Khan, Raje’s close aide and most powerful cabinet minister, had to wait for the final list for the decision on his candidature. Now, Khan—BJP’s first ever Muslim candidate from Tonk —has taken on CM hopeful Sachin Pilot, who happens to be Congress’ only non-Muslim face in last 48 year from Tonk.

“As a strategy, BJP didn’t want to field a Muslim face in Rajasthan. But Vasundhara backed her close confidante Khan and persuaded the party to field him against Pilot. Now, the onus will be on Raje to prove her decision right,” said a senior BJP functionary.


Pilot told ET that the candidate does not matter in this battle. He also indicated that BJP had to change its tactics after the announcement of his candidature from Tonk. “It’s a war between two parties, different ideologies. My candidature compelled BJP make a shift from its strategy of not fielding a Muslim candidate the way it did in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat elections. They were forced to field a half-hearted Muslim candidate, who was forced to change his home constituency Didwana to Tonk,” he said.

Yoonus Khan said the party has given him an important task of stalling the run of Congress chief in Tonk.