The electoral battle in Rajasthan will be about the state’s poll history of late — and whether or not it repeats itself. While the incumbent BJP government of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is looking to break a 20-year-old tradition in state’s politics, in which no party has won successive polls, opposition Congress will hope for a repeat of that tradition.
Since 1998, the Congress and the BJP have won Vidhan Sabha elections alternately, neither able to retain power for consecutive terms.
After winning 163 seats in 2013 Assembly polls — the highest in Rajasthan’s election history — the BJP has suffered a string of losses in by-elections in the state in recent times. In February, the party lost bypolls to Lok Sabha seats of Alwar and Ajmer, along with Mandalgarh Assembly seat, to the Congress.
After the defeats, BJP initiated some damage-control measures, including changing its state unit president and re-inducting MLA Kirodi Lal Meena to the party along with two other legislators of National People’s Party (NPP). Meena was later elected to the Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket. Meena, known to exercise considerable influence among the large Scheduled Tribe communities in eastern Rajasthan, had left the BJP in 2008 and won in 2013 as an NPP candidate.
The Congress, meanwhile, launched the “mera booth, mera gaurav (my booth, my pride)” programme shortly after the bypoll victories, aiming to mobilise booth-level workers in districts.
The BJP has said, and is banking on the fact, that the Congress is a divided camp between loyalists of the party’s state unit president Sachin Pilot and former CM Ashok Gehlot. In his recent visit to Sawai Madhopur district, BJP president Amit Shah called the Congress a party that has neither neta (leader) nor neeti (strategy).
Shah has visited Rajasthan five times since September, addressing party workers and taking part in various events.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi reiterated during his recent rallies that the party’s state leadership has presented a united front against the BJP.
On the ground, Chief Minister Raje has been travelling across the state over the past two months as part of her “Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra”, holding public meetings and interacting with people to tell them about achievements of her government. Flagship schemes such as the Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana, skill training, setting up of Annapurana Bhandars, women-friendly initiatives such as scooter distribution to girl students and the claim of employment provided to 15 lakh people have consistently found place in her speeches during the yatra.
Raje also had to face black flag protests from protesting Rajput group members in districts such as Jaisalmer during her yatra. Despite traditionally being BJP voters, several leaders of the Rajput community have expressed disillusionment with the party over issues such as the “encounter” killing of gangster Anandpal Singh last year, among others.
The government has also announced several sops, free smartphones to families covered under the National Food Security Act among them.
