Journalism of Courage
The upcoming Rajasthan state elections are witnessing a competitive contest between the Congress, led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and the BJP, which sees this election as a launchpad for the 2024 Lok Sabha bid.
In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Congress secured victory with 100 seats, while the BJP won 73. However, there were 38 Assembly seats where the margin of victory was less than 5,000 votes, indicating a close contest.
Key BJP candidates include Vasundhara Raje, a two-time former Rajasthan chief minister. Despite her reduced involvement since the BJP lost power in 2018, the party has fielded many of her loyalists as candidates, potentially giving her a shot at a third term as CM. There is Rajendra Rathore, a seven-time MLA and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajasthan Assembly, has not lost an election since 1990. He has been critical of the Gehlot government since becoming LoP, focusing on issues like law and order and question paper leaks. Satish Poonia is also a prominent figure in the Rajasthan BJP, served as the state party president during most of the period when the BJP was out of power. He was replaced by C P Joshi in 2023.
For the Congress party, there is Ashok Gehlot, the current chief minister who has successfully navigated leadership challenges, including a rebellion in 2020. State unit chief Sachin Pilot sought the CM position during a leadership crisis, but he has been advised by the high command to wait his turn. The party will look to him to shore up its votes in eastern Rajasthan, especially of Gujjars. There is Govind Singh Dotasra who is recognized as a prominent Jat face in the state and has been the state president of the Congress. He has also held ministerial positions in education and tourism.
Meanwhile, the tie-up between the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), which is seen as a Jat party, and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP), a new entrant in Rajasthan politics, is significant as it forms a Jat-Dalit combination. While the RLP has a base among Jats and Dalits, the alliance with the ASP is expected to enhance its acceptability among other castes, particularly Dalits. They are aiming to target the substantial number of votes that didn't go to either the Congress or the BJP in the 2018 Assembly elections, which accounted for 21.34% of the total votes.
Rajasthan State Map
Rajasthan constituency list 2023
Contituency Name
Sitting MLA
Party
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