Jaipur, Dec 12 Newly-elected Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma (56), who has been active in politics for 34 years now, had once contested the elections as a rebel BJP candidate and lost his deposit.
Sharma contested the 2003 Assembly elections from Nadbai in Bharatpur as a BJP rebel representing the Rajasthan Samajik Nyaya Manch.
However, he finished fifth with just 5,969 votes, thereby losing his deposit, as Independent candidate Krishnendra Kaur (Deepa) won the elections by getting 27,299 votes. Kaur defeated BSP's Sanjay Singh, Yashwant Singh Ramu of the Congress and Jitendra Singh of the BJP by a handsome margin.
In a surprise move, the BJP on Tuesday named Bhajan Lal -- a first-time MLA -- as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Sharma, who was elected from Sanganer in Jaipur district in the November 25 Assembly elections, has been an office-bearer in BJP's state unit.
Being a resident of Bharatpur, some people had branded Sharma as an 'outsider' in Sanganer before the elections. However, he won by a huge margin, defeating Pushpendra Bhardwaj of the Congress by 48,081 votes.
Sharma, who is considered close to both the party organisation and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been the state general secretary under four sate BJP Presidnets -- Ashok Parnami, Madan Lal Saini, Satish Poonia and C.P. Joshi.
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