Many MLAs, ministers in second Congress list of 43 in Rajasthan

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday named 43 more candidates in Rajasthan, taking the total 76 in two lists so far. The new list once again showed the party renominating most of sitting MLAs, including ministers. The Congress also extended its 'hand symbol' to some of the Independent MLAs, who had extended support to the Gehlot government for the past five years. The The Congress also released its final list of seven candidates for Chhattisgarh. It dropped four MLAs, thus making the total number of MLAs dropped to a significant high of 22.

The second Rajasthan list, that continues to showcase the accommodation of all internal interests, includes many prominent ministers in the Ashok Gehkot government including BD Kalla, Pratap Singh Khachriyawas, Brijender Singh Ola, Shakuntala Rawat, Vishwendra Singh who will be defending their sitting seats even as senior party leaders Raghu Sharma and Raghuveer Singh Meena also got the tickets. AICC secretary Zubair Khan, known to be close to Priyanaka Gandhi, got a ticket by benching his MLA wife. Ailing senior leader Ramesh Dudi's seat has been allotted to his wife. Some supporters of Sachin Pilot, including Naseem Akhtar Insaf, too have been renominated.

In the second Congress list, candidates belonging to the STs account for six, SCs 5, from Muslim community five and three women.