Rajasthan, which has a history of voting out the ruling party, is all set for a fierce, two-way contest between Congress CM Ashok Gehlot and BJP, which is going all out to seal a win from this state seen as a launchpad for the party's 2024 Lok Sabha bid.
Rajasthan will vote on November 25 and the results will be out on December 3. The date earlier was scheduled for November 23 but it was changed by the Election Commission as many large-scale weddings and social engagements werer slotted for November 23.
The last date for filing nominations is November 6. November 9 is the last date for withdrawal of candidatures. the tenure of the present Rajasthan assembly will end in January 2024. Rajasthan Assembly Election will be held in 200 assembly constituencies.
What happened in 2018 elections?
In the 2018 elections, the Congress secured 99 seats, two short of the majority of 101. However, they orchestrated a remarkable comeback by garnering support from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). On the other side, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished a close second with 73 seats.
Chief Ministerial Speculation
For the Congress party, all eyes are on the incumbent Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot.
With Gehlot, the Congress hopes to turn a three-decades-old trend of Rajasthan voters shifting between the BJP and the Congress. Gehlot is betting on welfare schemes and his personal popularity to see the party through.
Old Congress hand
Gehlot, an Economics post-graduate with a law degree, made his political debut with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) as its state president 1974-79. In 1979, he became the Jodhpur district president of the Congress and by 1985 he was promoted as the state chief.
He became the CM for the first time in 1998, and then again in 2008. This is Gehlot’s third term as CM.
In the BJP camp, the anticipation centers around Vasundhara Raje, who is considered the frontrunner. However, the party has not yet officially declared its Chief Ministerial candidate.
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