BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, today faced the ire of hundreds of supporters of former BJP MLA Rajpal Singh Shekhawat who was denied nomination, who tried to check her entry into a city hotel. Demanding party ticket for Rajpal, the supporters shouted anti-party slogans and tried to block Raje’s entry while on her way to address a press conference. Raje, who finally set out on Thursday to file her nominations from Jhalarapatan and Pidawa seats, left behind a crushed Pratap Singh Khachariawas and announced that Khachariawas was not to contest the elections on a BJP symbol. A day after she refused to leave for her constituency to file her nomination if her chosen candidate was not given a ticket from the Bani Park seat, a harried Raje blamed a ‘‘printing error’’ for all the confusion and tried to reassure that things were back on track. ‘‘There have been no changes in the list,’’ she said at the press conference. ‘‘Dholpur is in my area and only local people will contest from the seats there. As was in the original list, BJP worker Harcharan Singh will contest from Rajakhera.’’ When reminded that Khachariawas’s name had been announced from Rajakhera a day before, Raje dismissed it and blamed it on ‘‘typing or printing errors’’. Meanwhile, Khachariawas said he wasn’t expecting this but added that he never wanted to go to Rajakhera anyway. ‘‘I had made it very clear to the party that I would not fight from Rajakhera,’’ he said, adding: ‘‘I have just received this news and am still not sure what my next step will be. Tomorrow I am going to hold a meeting with my supporters.” Raje’s cryptic response and hurried departure for Jhalawar comes after she took on the collective strength of the established state leadership, the RSS and Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. While everyone was in favour of a renomination of Shekhawat, Raje insisted that Khachariawas be given the Bani Park ticket.
