Congress fields Karan Singh Yadav for Alwar Lok Sabha bypoll

Karan Singh Yadav, a doctor by profession, has been a two-time MLA from Behrod and also an MP from Alwar.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday announced the name of Karan Singh Yadav as the party's official candidate to contest the by-election for Alwar Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan. 

Yadav, a doctor by profession, has been a two-time MLA from Behrod and also an MP from Alwar.

Jitendra Singh, an aide of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, was in contention. Singh lost to Bharatiya Janata Party`s Mahant Chandnath in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The byelections to Alwar and Ajmer parliamentary constituencies and Mandalgarh assembly seat in Rajasthan are likely to be declared between January 1-5, said Election Commission sources. The Congress is yet to declare its candidate for the Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency and the Mandalgarh assembly seat.

Meanwhile, BJP, the ruling party in the state has not announced the name of its candidate for the Alwar bypoll yet.

However, as per a report, the party is working to retain the seat by fielding a Yadav candidate, which it has anyways been doing in elections post 1977.

While both major parties - BJP and the Congress- will emphasise on the development credentials, it is the caste subtext that often decides the outcome in this Yadav dominated area.

Nearly a fourth of the voters in Alwar belong to the Yadav community. Other communities with significant representation are Meo, Dalits and Brahmins.

The Yadav domination in Alwar politics can be realised from the fact that in 11 Lok Sabha elections held since 1977, candidates from the community have won election eight times.

In 1977, Janta Party fielded Ramjilal Yadav its candidates from Alwar who won by 1.72 lakh votes over Congress's Hari Prasad Sharma.

Even in Ajmer parliamentary constituency where caste is usually not a major factor, these equations are likely to play an important role. The ruling BJP was mulling fielding a Jat candidate, a party source said.

The bypoll to Alwar seat was necessitated following the demise of MP Mahant Chandnath earlier this year.