JAIPUR: The keenly-contested assembly elections in Rajasthan saw many political heavyweights from the ruling BJP biting the dust to their nearest Congress after the results were announced on Tuesday.
Yoonus Khan, who was fielded by the ruling BJP against Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, was among several top ministers in the incumbent Vasundhara Raje government in the state.
Interestingly, Khan was the only Muslim candidate fielded by the saffron party in the crucial assembly elections here.
Khan eventually lost to Pilot in the Tonk assembly constituency.
Khan was the State Transport Minister and BJP legislator from Deedwana seat of Nagaur district.
Khan's name was kept reserved by the party till the last moment.
It was only after the Congress fielded Pilot in Tonk, the BJP did brainstorming and finally replaced sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta, whose name figured in the first list issued by the party, with Khan.
BJP decided to field Khan against Pilot considering the sizeable number of Muslims in Tonk constituency.
"Since the Congress has sent an outsider in Tonk, there was a need to change the strategy. Yoonus Khan has been fielded in Tonk,'' the saffron party had said.
The Grand Old Party, which fought assembly elections under the leadership of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and its state unit chief Sachin Pilot, shattered BJP leader and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's dream of securing a second consecutive term in office.
A strong ''anti-incumbency'' wave against the Vashundhra Raje government and the growing disenchantment among the Rajputs, Jats and Upper Caste members towards the ruling party is believed to have played a spoilsport for the BJP in Rajasthan.
After winning the Rajasthan Assembly elections, Congress said that it has called a meeting of its newly-elected legislators on Wednesday to decide who the new Chief Minister should be.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who is in-charge of Rajasthan affairs, "has already reached Jaipur for the meeting", state Congress chief Sachin Pilot said. Pilot and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot later met Venugopal.
Here are some of the notable winners in Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018: Sachin Pilot (Congress) Tonk, Vasundhara Raje (BJP) Jhalrapatan, Suresh rawat (BJP) Pushkar, Govind Ram (Congress) Khajuwala (SC), Pratap Singh Khachariyavas (INC) Civil Lines, Zahida Khan (INC) Kaman, Vasudev Devnani (BJP) Ajmer North, Rakesh Pareek (INC) Masuda, Shobha Chauhan (BJP) Sojat (SC), Rooparam (INC) Jaisalmer, Shale Mohammad (INC) Pokaran, Ashok Gehlot (Congress) Sardarpura, Madan Prajapat (INC) Pachpadra, Chhagansingh (BJP) Ahore, Jogeshwar Garg (BJP) Jalore (SC), Pooraram Choudhary (BJP) Bhinmal, Sukhram (INC) Sanchore, Sanyam Lodha (IND) Sirohi, Sama Ram Grasiya (BJP) Pindwara Abu (ST), Jagasi Ram (BJP) Reodar, Dharmnarayan Joshi (BJP) Mavli.
