With Rajasthan set to witness assembly polls on Saturday, the star campaigners from BJP and Congress are holding rallies and launching attacks at each other. The polling in the western state will be held on 25 November across 200 constituencies. The result is scheduled to be declared on 3 December.
Rajasthan Assembly Election LIVE updates
Rajasthan Assembly polls: A look key constituencies
- Sardarpura: This has been a stronghold of Congress since 1998. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has won this seat since 1998. The veteran Congress leader, who is seeking a fourth term as a CM, defeated BJP’s Shambhu Singh in 2018 after securing 63% votes.
- Tonk: Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who secured an impressive victory from the Tonk seat, will be competing against BJP’s Ajit Singh Mehta. Tonk constituency comprises the Gujjar population as well as Meenas and Muslims. In the 2018 Rajasthan assembly polls, Pilot defeated BJP’s Yoonus Khan by 54,179 votes.
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- Jhalrapatan: In this BJP bastion in Rajasthan, former CM Vasundhara Raje, has been winning since 2003 from here. In 2018, Raje secured 54% votes to defeat Congress Manvendra Singh.
- Udaipur: BJP has also a stronghold in this seat. The saffron party has persistently been from Udaipur since 2003. The BJP has nominated Tarachand Jain but Udaipur Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Paras Singhvi has opposed Jain’s constituency and cautioned that the party may face consequences. Congress has fielded Gourav Vallabh to run for the Udaipur constituency. He is well-known for his economic acumen and work on the Congress party’s economic agenda.
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- Nathdwara: BJP has fielded Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, a descendant of Maharana Pratap Singh from here. Mewar will contest against Congress veteran CP Joshi, the current speaker of Rajasthan Assembly. In 2018, Joshi defeated BJP’s Mahesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 16,940 seats.
- Jhunjhunu: At this constituency, arch-rivals Congress’ Brijendra Ola and BJP’s Nishit Kumar will contest. Ola has remained a three-term MLA from Jhunjhunu (in 2008, 2013 and 2018).
- Jhotwara: BJP has fielded Olympian turned politician Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to regain the seat. In 2018, Congress candidate Lalchand Katariya defeated Rathore in this seat.
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- Churu: This has been BJP’s bastion with Rajendra Rathore, the leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan assembly, winning the seat on six separate occasions. In 2008, he contested from Taranagar, for Congress’ Maqbool Mandelia to clinch the victory by defeating BJP’s Harlal Saharan.
Rajasthan Assembly elections: Key issuesr
One of the major talking points of this year’s election in the western state is-Anti-incumbency. In every election year, the government changes in the state. This time BJP is confident that the state’s residents will vote against Congress.
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Another big issue is the paper leak scams. As many as eight examinations held by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) between 2019 and 2022 have been cancelled due to paper leaks. The Rajasthan Assembly passed a bill in July to increase the punishment for those involved in government recruitment exam paper leaks from a 10-year jail term to life imprisonment.
Another issue is women’s safety in the state. Union Cabinet Minister Smriti Irani has called the polls in the state a battle for women’s honour.
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Updated: 23 Nov 2023, 08:29 AM IST