JAIPUR: Attrition has begun even before the poll results are in.

As electioneering reaches fever pitch in the run up to the Rajasthan elections, both Congress and BJP have stepped up their outreach to contestants from smaller parties, either getting them to cross over to the bigger outfits or making them withdraw candidature in support of either of the parties.In Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal and Adarsh Nagar constituencies, for instance, pressure from community leaders and some wooing by CM Ashok Gehlot has won over Pappu Qureshi and Umar Daraz, both Congress rebels fielded by AAP, to return to the Congress fold less than a week before polling day.

BSP’s Adarsh Nagar candidate Hasan Raja has also extended support to Congress’ Rafeek Khan, leading the grand old party to believe it has improved its caste arithmetic in the seat.BJP has not been far behind in consolidating its position across constituencies.

In Vidyadhar Nagar, where MP Diya Kumari is facing an uphill battle in a seat that has traditionally favoured BJP, the ‘Rani’ made the local Parivartan Party of India candidate Rajpal Shekhawat come around to withdrawing his candidature and extend his support to BJP.BJP has never been in such a bad condition: Rajasthan CM Ashok GehlotIn Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal seat, BSP’s Taruna Parashar has withdrawn her candidature to join BJP, where Balmukundacharya, saffron greenhorn, is pitted against Congress’ RR Tiwari.

BSP’s Civil Lines candidate Arun Chaturvedi, similarly, has withdrawn in favour of Congress’ incumbent cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.A similar scene has played out in Neem Ka Thana’s Udaipurwati constituency, where BSP candidate Sandeep Saini has pledged support to Congress’ Bhagwan Ram Saini, and in Alwar’s Tijara, where BSP’s Hemkaran has withdrawn his candidature to join BJP.The phenomenon is all pervasive.

In Bikaner West, RLP’s Abdul Majid Khokhar has withdrawn in favour of Congress’ B D Kalla, while in Sanganer BSP’s Ram Lal Chowdhary has withdrawn to join Congress.

BSP’s candidates in Jaisalmer, Jalore, Dholpur, Pojhran and Sirohi have also effected last-minute crossovers.An interesting contest is also on the cards in Sikar’s Dantaramgarh, where INDIA allies CPM and Congress will go head-to-head.

Here, CPM’s Amra Ram will contest against Congress’ Virendra Singh, who had won over the RLP candidate who was in the fray.

The twist, however, comes with Singh’s wife Rita contesting against him on a JJP ticket, making it a multi-cornered contest where BJP claims it has an edge.