RCA polls narrow to two-way battle as Dhananjai Singh Khimsar, Brij Kishore Upadhyay face off

Jaipur: The race for the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) presidency reached a dramatic crescendo following the withdrawal of nominations on Monday, with the candidate field narrowing down to a high-stakes showdown between Dhananjai Singh Khimsar and Brij Kishore Upadhyay.Electoral officer AK Pande confirmed that 18 nominations were withdrawn out of the 30 initially received, leaving 12 candidates in the fray for six executive posts. With exactly two contenders remaining per seat, straight head-to-head battles have been drawn across the board.RCA insiders suggest the odds currently favour Jodhpur District Cricket Association (DCA) president Khimsar, whose ‘resilience’ and ‘institutional knowledge’ have kept him at the centre of state cricket affairs for years.He was on the verge of claiming the presidency in 2024 before the process was disrupted, and he has maintained a consistent presence on every ad-hoc committee formed to manage RCA operations between 2024 and 2026.However, the opposition is far from subdued. “Upadhyay's (Dausa DCA secretary) entry into the race has injected fresh drama, particularly when he arrived to file his nomination papers accompanied by veteran leader and finance commission chairman Arun Chaturvedi, a prominent figure close to the chief minister, which political insiders suggest indicates govt backing. That said, Khimsar also possesses immense political weight, being the son of the state’s health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar. Also, let’s not forget that Dhananjai’s extended family shares a strong connection with an influential Central minister,” a source said.Party insiders pointed towards how these elections also bring to light deeper internal factions within the BJP. Earlier, three distinct groups within the party ecosystem were fighting the polls. Following Parakram Singh Rathore’s exit, the contest has condensed into a ‘direct battle between the two remaining camps’.The dynamics of the presidential race have altered now. “Parakram withdrew due to a lack of political support, as he was reportedly running solely on the legacy of his father, former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Singh Rathore, rather than building a broader consensus. And district cricket associations like Bharatpur, Dholpur and Dausa also kept him under the impression that they were in his support, but in reality they were not,” added another source.The competitive spirit extends across the entire ballot, with straight contests shaping up for all executive positions. Mohit Yadav will face Ratan Singh Shekhawat for the vice-president's role, while also squaring off against Pinkesh Kumar Jain for the secretary's position. Administrative continuity defines the joint secretary race, where Vinod Saharan will compete against Rajesh Saraswat, and Ashish Tiwari and Vishnu Prakash Agarwal will battle for the treasurer's post.The executive member contest will be decided between Aristh Singhvi and Dharamveer Singh Shekhawat.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.