Rajasthan poll: JJP fields Congress MLA’s wife from Danta Ramgarh

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, October 24

Announcing its first list of six candidates, the JJP has fielded Congress MLA’s wife Reeta Singh from the Danta Ramgarh Assembly constituency in Sikar district. She is the daughter-in-law of Congress leader and seven-time MLA Naryana Singh Chaudhary. Her husband Virender Singh is presently the Congress MLA from here.

It will be an interesting contest if the Congress renominates its sitting MLA. Virender Singh’s father had also served as the Rajasthan Congress president.

JJP chief Ajay Singh Chautala had made his political debut by defeating Chaudhary in the 1990 Assembly election on Janata Dal’s ticket. While Virender Singh got the ticket in the last Assembly poll, his wife was also active in the Congress before joining the JJP. Reeta Singh was also the chairperson of zila parishad, Danta Ramgarh, and two-time panchayat samiti member.

Other JJP candidates include a former Independent MLA, JJP state president Prithviraj Meel from Suratgarh and former Independent MLA Nand Kishore Maharia from Fatehpur. Maharia had also contested on BJP ticket in 2008. Later, he filed for an Independent nomination and got elected in 2013. His elder brother Subhash Maharia has been a three-time BJP MP from the Sikar Lok Sabha seat.

The party opted to nominate former JD (U) state president Ram Niwas Yadav from the Kotputli Assembly segment in Jaipur district, and Sardar Singh Arya from the Khandela segment in Sikar district. A veterinary surgeon, Dr Mohan Singh Chaudhary, has been fielded in the Bharatpur Assembly segment.

JJP leader and Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala had stated that they would contest 25-30 Assembly constituencies. While Dushyant’s father Ajay Singh Chautala had been member of the Rajasthan Assembly twice – Danta Ramgarh and Nohar constituencies — his great grandfather Devi Lal had won the Sikar Lok Sabha seat when he became the Deputy PM in 1989.

Dushyant had said they did not have an alliance with the BJP in Rajasthan and that the JJP would play a key role in the formation of the next government there.

Set to be keen contest

• It will be an interesting contest if the Congress renominates its sitting MLA Virender Singh. His father Naryana Singh Chaudhary had also served as the Rajasthan Congress president
• Reeta Singh was also chairperson of zila parishad, Danta Ramgarh, and two-time panchayat samiti member.