Rajasthan Assembly Elections: Anti-Incumbency Wave, Critical Issues.

Rajasthan Assembly Elections:

Rajasthan Assembly Elections: In Rajasthan, there are legislative elections scheduled for Saturday, and both the BJP and Congress star campaigners are conducting rallies and launching attacks on each other. Voting will take place on November 25th in 200 constituencies in the western state, with the results set to be announced on December 3rd.

Rajasthan Assembly Elections: A Glimpse at Key Constituencies.

1. Sardarpura: This constituency has been a stronghold of the Congress since 1998. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been winning from this seat since 1998. In 2018, the experienced Congress leader, eyeing a fourth term as CM, defeated BJP's Shambhu Singh with 63% of the votes.

2. Tonk: Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who secured a remarkable victory in Tonk in the last election, will face BJP's Ajit Singh Mehta. Tonk constituency includes a diverse population of Gujjars, Meenas, and Muslims. In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Pilot defeated BJP's Yunus Khan by 54,179 votes.

3. Jhalrapatan: A stronghold for the BJP in Rajasthan, former CM Vasundhara Raje has been winning from here since 2003. In 2018, Raje secured 54% of the votes, defeating Congress' Manvendra Singh.

4. Udaipur: Another BJP stronghold, the party has been consistently winning in Udaipur since 2003. BJP has fielded Tarachand Jain, but there is internal opposition as Udaipur Municipal Corporation's Deputy Mayor Paras Singhvi has contested against Jain, warning of potential repercussions for the party. Congress has fielded Gaurav Vallabh from Udaipur, emphasized his economic expertise and focused on the Congress party's economic agenda.

5. Nathdwara: BJP has nominated Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, a descendant of Maharana Pratap Singh, to contest against Congress veteran leader and the current Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly, CP Joshi. In 2018, Joshi defeated BJP's Mahesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 16,940 votes.

6. Jhunjhunu: In this constituency, Congress' veteran Brjendra Ola and BJP's Nishit Kumar will go head-to-head. Ola has been a three-time MLA from Jhunjhunu (in 2008, 2013, and 2018).

7. Jhotwara: BJP has fielded Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, an Olympian, to reclaim this seat. In 2018, Congress candidate Lalchand Kataria defeated Rathore.

8. Churu: A BJP stronghold, where opposition leader Rajendra Rathore has won this seat six times in different elections. In 2008, he contested against Congress' Makbul Mandelia in Taranagar and defeated Harlal Saharan of BJP, securing the victory.

In this year's elections in western Rajasthan, a significant discussion point is the anti-incumbency wave. The state government changes with every election year. This time, the BJP is confident that the residents will vote against the Congress.

Another major issue is the paper leak scandal. Eight examinations conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) between 2019 and 2022 were canceled due to paper leaks. In July, the Rajasthan Assembly passed a bill to increase the punishment for those involved in the government recruitment exam paper leak from 10 years to life imprisonment.

The second issue is women's safety in the state. Union Cabinet Minister Smriti Irani has framed the ongoing elections in the state as a fight for the dignity of women.