1. Rajasthan is currently engaged in voting for the 200-member state Legislative Assembly.
2. The Congress aims to continue its governance, emphasizing the accomplishments of the Ashok Gehlot government and welfare schemes.
3. BJP, eyeing a change, has targeted the ruling party with allegations of corruption, law and order issues, and internal conflicts within the Congress.
Jaipur, Nov 25: Voting is underway in Rajasthan as the state heads to the polls to elect representatives for the 200-member state Legislative Assembly. The Congress party is striving to maintain its hold on power, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to break the tradition of parties rotating every five years.
The Congress campaign has focused on showcasing the achievements of the Ashok Gehlot government and its welfare initiatives. In contrast, the BJP has levied accusations of corruption, law and order issues, and internal conflicts within the ruling party.
The Congress manifesto promises ‘seven guarantees,’ including a caste survey, Rs 10,000 annual honorariums for female heads of families, Rs 500 LPG cylinders, purchase of cow dung at Rs 2 per kg, an increase in the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme to Rs 50 lakh, reinstatement of the old pension scheme for government employees, free laptops/tablets for students, and Rs 15 lakh per family as natural calamity compensation.
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The BJP, too, has pledged various welfare measures for farmers, women, and students. These include an increase in the Minimum Support Price for wheat, compensation for land acquisition, the formation of anti-Romeo squads, savings bonds of Rs 2 lakh for families with daughters, a free scooty scheme for meritorious students, an increase in the subsidy for LPG gas to Rs 950, and promises for the tourism sector.
Key figures from both parties, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, as well as BJP leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have conducted multiple rallies across the state during the high-octane campaign.
Notably, the election in the Karanpur constituency has been adjourned due to the unfortunate demise of the Congress candidate. Therefore, polling is being held in 199 seats out of the total 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan.
The state has witnessed the active participation of prominent Congress figures, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, and several ministers. For the BJP, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathore, and other prominent leaders are seeking a public mandate.
In total, Rajasthan has 1,862 candidates, and the number of eligible voters stands at 5,25,38,105. The current composition of the state assembly includes 107 Congress MLAs, 70 from BJP, 3 from Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), 2 each from the Communist Party of India (M) and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP), 1 from Rashtriya Lok Dal, and 13 independents, with two seats currently vacant.
