The voters have kept everyone guessing about which way the cookie will crumble in Rajasthan. Both the Congress and the BJP are claiming their victory in the just concluded assembly polls in the desert state.
Most journalists and analysts are still predicting a BJP win post-voting. They are of the view that if Congress loses it will be because of internal fights in the Congress and strong resentment among the public against the party MLAs and ministers. The voting percentage has increased as there was an undercurrent for the government’s welfare schemes. It will be known on December 3 whether the public put primacy on PM Modi’s guarantee for the security and safety of people or on Gehlot’s welfare schemes.
Certainly, Ashok Gehlot has made concerted efforts to address the fundamental requirements of the public in the past two years. He has implemented crucial measures to enhance education and healthcare services. Gehlot reinstated the Old Pension Scheme, securing the future of government employees. Additionally, he facilitated the distribution of food packets, subsidized cylinders at Rs 500, and free medical treatment in hospitals, among other initiatives. Furthermore, he granted loan waivers for farmers. It remains intriguing to observe whether voters prioritize the politics of division over the benefits of welfare schemes.
If Congress loses, the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be better than it was in 2019. BJP’s victory will also be seen as the success of issues like Ram Mandir which have polarizing appeal. After the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple on 22 January, the BJP will start arranging a darshan of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya for people from different cities across the country. The idea will be to create a religious atmosphere in the name of Lord Ram.
There are indications that the centre might dissolve the Lok Sabha ahead of the budget session for early elections. Congress former president Rahul Gandhi is planning to organise the second part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. However, the Ayodhya agenda will be weighing heavily on Congress’ political move. This is the reason why the Rajasthan poll results will be quite significant for both the Congress and the BJP.
The Bharatiya Janata Party made all possible experiments during the campaign in Rajasthan.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath promised free darshan of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. PM Modi brought up the Kanhaiya Lal Murder, the issue of the ban on Ram Navami procession in Rajasthan and similar polarizing matters. Highlighting these issues, the BJP workers also worked hard to persuade voters to support the party candidates.
In what bodes ill for the Congress, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seemed to be handling the entire campaign on his own, as the other party leaders, ministers and MLAs did not work hard as as they were expected to. Most of the leaders from Delhi did not give a positive report on Rajasthan.
It is being speculated that the Congress insiders indirectly helped BJP candidates. According to reports, these functionaries helped opponents in the Jaipur City seat for monetary benefits. There is total confusion about the outcome, and the increase in vote percentage has added to the confusion.
The past records show that the BJP won whenever the voting percentage increased, while the Congress remained victorious when the voting percentage decreased. It is being said that the voter turnout went up due to welfare schemes of the Gehlot-led Congress government. Notably, nobody is asserting a substantial victory of any party following the conclusion of the voting.
