As around 5.25 crore electors in Rajasthan gear up to vote, here’s look at voting time, key candidates, polls issues, and strengths and weakness of the BJP and the Congress in the Rajasthan Election 2023:
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Voting will be held in how many Rajasthan assembly constituencies?
Out of the total 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan, 199 will be contested on November 25. This is because the election in the Karanpur assembly constituency was adjourned after the Congress candidate from Karanpur, Gurmeet Singh Koonar, died due to sepsis. Koonar was the sitting MLA from Karanpur.
Of these 200 seats, 25 are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) category, 34 for Scheduled Tribe (ST) category and 141 for General category.
Voting date, time and results: When will the voting happen in Rajasthan Election?
The voting for the Rajasthan Election 2023 will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm on Saturday, November 25. The elections results will be declared on December 3.
When will the term of Rajasthan assembly end?
It ends on January 14, 2024.
Which major parties are contesting Rajasthan polls?
The BJP and the Congress are two key parties contesting the Rajasthan Election 2023. Both the political parties announced names for all 200 seats. Besides them, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Aam aadmi Party (AAP) have also fieled candidates.
ALSO READ: Rajasthan Assembly polls 2023: A look at key constituencies, candidates, issues
How to know your candidate?
In a bid to keep the voters informed, the Election Commission uploads candidates’ affidavit, with all details including “Criminal Antecedents” if any, on the #KYC App of ECI and https://affidavit.eci.gov.in portal.
On the website and app, a person can browse candidates and view their details including affidavits provided by the candidate during their nomination. They need to enter the state and the assembly constituency to see which candidate is contesting from that particular constituency. They can even click on “view more” option given against each candidate to check details.
SWOT analysis of BJP
Strengths:
1. The BJP has a strong organisational set up down to the booth level.
2. The party hopes to cash in on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi.
3. The party’s Hindutva appeal could help in getting votes.
4. The party may also bag support of right-wingers after the Kanhaiya Lal case in Udaipur.
Weakness
1. The BJP lacks a tall leader in the state.
2. The differences within the BJP unit may not be as out in the open as in the rival Congress, but the party will have to tread carefully while dealing with former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her camp.
3. According to a political analysis, the BJP’s low visibility on ground may cost the party a few votes.
4. The BJP has not been able to effectively counter the Congress narrative that the Centre is reluctant to accord the “national project” status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, which covers some districts where BJP is considered weak.
Opportunities
1. Anti-incumbency in Rajasthan might be in the BJP’s favour. Rajasthan has been a swing state, with the power oscillating between the Congress and the BJP for decade. After five years of Congress rule, the voters could be inclined to bring the BJP to power this time.
2. The BJP will exploit the infighting within the Congress. BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have targetted the Congress over the contention between Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
3. The BJP has tried to corner the Ashok Gehlot government on law and order, particularly crime against women. A ‘red diary’ detailing corruption that is claimed to be in the possession of a sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha is also a talking point.
4. A new CM face from the BJP might be in its favour as the people in the state look forward to a changed leadership in the wake of anti-incumbency factor.
Threats
1. The restoration of the Old Pension Scheme and the launch of a series of welfare initiatives by the Gehlot government will pull votes for the Congress.
2. Former BJP leader and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party supremo Hanuman Beniwal is likely to garner Jat votes which might have gone to the BJP in some constituencies. In tribal areas, the new Bhartiya Adivasi Party is the one to watch out for.
3. Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot have been among prominent faces in Rajasthan polls
SWOT analysis of Congress
Strengths:
1. Ashok Gehlot’s mass connect, strengthened further by a systematic outreach programme, gives the party another shot at power. gehlot has been the Chief Minister of the state for three times.
2. Despite being sidelined in the state, former deputy minister Sachin Pilot’s charisma still counts. He remains a crowd-puller, particularly among the youth. He has been a prominent leader among the Gujjar community.
3. A long list of welfare schemes launched by the Ashok Gehlot-led government could favour the Congress. These schemes include ₹25-lakh medical insurance, MGNREGA-like employment scheme for urban areas, cooking gas cylinders at ₹500 for the Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries, smartphones for women and a social security allowance.
Weaknesses
1. Infighting between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has been out in the open. The current truce may not be enough to offset the damage, news agency PTI reported.
2. The Congress’s organisational structure could have been stronger. Many state unit office bearers and district presidents were appointed only in July, giving them little time for them to settle in before the elections.
3. The allegations of corruption, including those related to paper leaks, could take a hit at the Congress’ image. A sacked minister’s claim that he has a “red diary” that carries evidence of financial irregularities is also now in the mix.
Opportunities
1. Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme should give an edge to the ruling Congress in Rajasthan. About 7 lakh employees – and their families – are expected to benefit from this decision.
2. Divisions within the BJP’s state unit could help the Congress, particularly if Vasundhara Raje’s supporters do not throw their weight into the BJP campaign.
3. The party gains in some districts if it manages to convince voters that the BJP at the Centre is not prioritising the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.
Threats
1. Anti-incumbency is the major threat to the Congress. This has made regaining power in the state tough for the party. The state has alternated between the BJP and the Congress every year in recent decades.
2. The BJP appears brought up cases of communal violence in the state. It also accused the state government of ‘appeasement’ towards Muslims.
3. The presence of Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM on the Rajasthan poll scene could split the Muslim vote in some constituencies. Similarly, newly formed Bhartiya Adivasi too can make it tougher for the party in the tribal belt.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Updated: 23 Nov 2023, 09:50 PM IST