The desert state, Rajasthan, has turned into a political battleground ahead of the upcoming elections. The state, which is known for its palaces and forts, over the years has seen high political drama and the upcoming elections ain’t any different. India’s largest state in terms of area will undergo Assembly Elections on December 7.
The 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly election is the last of the four-phase assembly elections in five states, the others being Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Telangana. Upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections of 2018 are seen as the semi-finals of 2019 parliamentary elections. Some of the Rajasthan opinion polls are already out and has predicted the next winning party. In Rajasthan, there are two main parties in the state and main competition is also amongst them, namely Congress and BJP. Both are confident of their winning and claiming that voters of the state are with them.
Bharatiya Janata Party is ruling in the state and Vasundhara Raje Scindia is the current CM of the state. BJP is in power from last term and before that Congress was in the power. Rajasthan elections has a strange trend from many elections, Congress and BJP winning the elections one by one. As per the trend, many pundits are expecting the win of the Congress in the state.
Congress, led by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former union minister Sachin Pilot, is aiming to wrest power from the BJP in the state. Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor and caste equations in the elections.
Here are some factors which might affect the Rajasthan elections. Reservation issue might also be a deciding factor. Gujjars are demanding reservations in government from a long time and both the parties will try best to keep them happy. Rajput are believed to be the vote banks of the BJP, but many have expressed dissatisfaction over the way the Rajasthan government led by Vasundhara Raje handled the ‘Padmavati’ controversy.
Many people from the state have said that they were happier with Ashok Gehlot’s performance as the chief minister as compared to incumbent Vasundhara Raje. While urban voters are still inclined towards voting for the BJP it’s not going to be easy for the Congress either.