BJP ties up with RLP for Khinwsar bypoll in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Sep 26 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) have formed an alliance to contest the Assembly bypoll in Khinwsar in Nagaur district scheduled to be held on October 21, BJP state president Satish Poonia said here on Thursday.

Poonia was addressing a joint press conference addressed by BJP and RLP leaders, making it clear that the saffron would leave the seat vacant for the RLP candidate to contest the bypoll.

However, the other Assembly seat going to the polls on October 21 -- Mandawa in Jhunjhunu district -- shall be contested by a BJP candidate, Poonia said.

In the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, both the parties had formed an alliance for the Nagaur parliamentary seat which was contested by RLP strongman and Khinwsar MLA Hanuman Beniwal, who was fielded against Jyoti Mirdha of the Congress.

After Beniwal won the election, he had to resign from his post as Khinwsar MLA, thus necessiating the bypoll.

Addressing the press conference, Beniwal said, "We shall repeat the success story of the Lok Sabha polls and work towards a 'Congress-mukt Rajasthan' by winning both the seats in the by-elections."

Taking on the Congress for the poor governance in the state, Beniwal said that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was trying all means to get his 'unemployed' son inducted into the Rajasthan Cricket Association.

Claiming that kidnappings and murders were on the rise in the state, Beniwal said, "We are confident of winning both the Assembly seats."

Addressing the gathering, leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said that BJP has always shown respect towards its allies. "We shall repeat the success while contesting the Khinwsar in alliance with the RLP. The Congress shall fall flat," he said.

When asked about the names of the candidates for the two bypolls in the state, Kataria said, "We have sent the shortlisted names to Delhi and shall declare them in a day or two."