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Congress, BJP stalwarts to clash in 7 Rajasthan seats 

Congress with BJP flag.

A third seat is that of Jodhpur where the BJP has fielded Gajendra Singh Shekhawat against the Congress’ Karan Singh Uchiarada. It is Rajput Vs Rajput here…reports Asian Lite News

As the election dates have been announced for the Lok Sabha polls, there are seven seats in Rajasthan that are being discussed animatedly as the Congress and the BJP have fielded their stalwarts here.

While the BJP has so far announced candidates for 15 seats, the Congress has fielded candidates for 10 seats. Overall, there are 25 Parliamentary constituencies in the state

The names of the remaining candidates are eagerly awaited. The BJP has called its core group committee meeting in Delhi on Monday while the Congress’ next list is also expected soon.

Amidst all these developments, the most talked about seat in the state is Churu where the BJP has fielded Paralympic Devendra Jhajharia against the Congress’ Rahul Kaswan. Kaswan is an ex-BJP MP who left the saffron party after being denied a LS ticket.

For Jhajhariya, these elections mark a fresh innings for him. Now, the seat has become a prestige issue for the BJP as well as the Congress.

Another seat is Bikaner where it is a Meghwal Vs Meghwal contest.

The BJP has again fielded Arjun Meghwal, who has been a MP for two consecutive terms, and is the Union law minister while also being a strong Dalit face of the state. The Congress has fielded Govind Meghwal, who was a cabinet minister in the Ashok Gehlot government in the state. He is counted among the big Dalit leaders of the Rajasthan Congress. This has made the fight interesting here.

A third seat is that of Jodhpur where the BJP has fielded Gajendra Singh Shekhawat against the Congress’ Karan Singh Uchiarada. It is Rajput Vs Rajput here.

The BJP has retained its trust in Shekhawat, a trusted face of the psrty’s central leadership, for the third time. Jodhpur is the home constituency of former CM Ashok Gehlot, however the Congress has fielded a Pilot loyalist Karan Singh Uchiarada against Shekhawat. Karan Singh has worked in different positions in the Congress. This contest between two Rajput leaders is being watched by the voters with keen interest.

The next seat is Chhittorgarh where BJP state president CP Joshi has been fielded against the Congress’ former state minister Udailal Anjana.

The BJP won the assembly elections under Joshi’s tenure as the state BJP chief who is the MP from Chhittorgarh as well. Being the home turf of the state BJP chief is what makes this seat crucial. Joshi’s differences with Chittorgarh MLA Chandrabhan Singh Akya is an open secret now. Akya left the BJP after being denied a ticket and contested the assembly polls as an Independent and won. Since then, he has verbally attacked Joshi for playing a key role in the denial of a ticket to him. There were discussions if Akya preferred to contest the LS polls against Joshi again. However on Sunday, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma played an intermediary role and helped the two leaders to patch up, making things easy for the BJP.

The Congress has placed its bets on Udailal Anjana, who was a cabinet minister in the Gehlot government, to counter Joshi. Anjana has also been a MP from this area. So it’s a fight between a former Congress MP and BJP MP.

Another interesting fight is in Alwar where the BJP has fielded Union minister Bhupendra Yadav against Lalit Yadav

The BJP has fielded Yadav who has been a Rajya Sabha MP twice but is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time. The Congress meanwhile has fielded its MLA Lalit Yadav against him. Lalit is a first-time MLA from Mundawar. Party sources said that the Congress is trying to bring in new leadership here. Former Alwar MP Karan Singh resigned from the Congress after being denied a ticket and joined the BJP. So what roles the rebels will play here is being watched closely.

Another seat which is being discussed in the political corridors is Jalore-Sirohi where the Congress has fielded former CM Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot against the BJP’s Lumbaram Chaudhary.

Vaibhav had contested the LS polls from Jodhpur in 2019 but was defeated by Shekahwat. Now he has been fielded from Jalore Sirohi and hence this seat has become a prestige point for Ashok Gehlot too, said party workers.

The BJP has denied a ticket to three-time MP Devji Patel from Jalore-Sirohi and has fielded Lumbaram Chaudhary who is contesting the LS polls for the first time.

Another seat attracting eyeballs is Udaipur where two ex-bureaucrats are locking horns.

The BJP has fielded Mannalal, a former transport officer, after cancelling the ticket of its MP Arjun Mean in Udaipur. Mannalal has served in organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad and has grassroots experience. The Congress has fielded former Udaipur collector Tarachand Meena. Both the candidates are outsiders.

The Congress has sprung a surprise by fielding Meena from here as his VRS will only take effect from March 20.

Tarachand is known to be the blue-eyed boy of former CM Ashok Gehlot and was directly appointed the Chittorgarh Collector. Eight months later he was appointed the Collector of Udaipur district. Now, his candidature has left everyone surprised.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan BJP vice president Narayan Pancharia claimed that there is no tough contest on these seats and the BJP will sail through smoothly on all these seats,

“Our party manifesto includes suggestions to see Bharat on top of the world charts by 2047. We are working to see a developed India and the voters are trusting us,” he said.

On the other hand state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said, “Electoral bonds, fake promises of the BJP like reducing petrol and diesel prices in the state to the same rate as that in the neighbouring state has exposed the lies of the saffron party. Voters will teach them a lesson,” he added.

As the attacks and counter -attacks continue, the discussions on these seven seats are garnering attention in political circles while the wait continues for the remaining candidates to be announced.

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Rajasthan’s political parties explore new equations  

Congress with BJP flag.

The BJP has swept the Parliamentary elections here two consecutive times….reports Asian Lite News

Political parties in Rajasthan are busy exploring new political equations as the Lok Sabha polls approach, while the election officials are making efforts to increase the voter turnout in the desert state.

Rajasthan has 25 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP has swept the Parliamentary elections here two consecutive times. In the elections in 2014, the BJP contested all the seats and created a record by winning all the 25 seats. In 2019, the BJP contested on 24 seats, and formed an alliance with the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) for the Nagaur seat.

The RLP’s Hanuman Beniwal won the Nagaur seat\ for the NDA alliance. However, later during the protests against the farm laws, he severed ties with the NDA. Beniwal contested the assembly elections in 2023, became the MLA from Khinvsar, and resigned as an MP. The BJP has fielded Jyoti Mirdha from Nagaur for the ensuing LS polls who joined the BJP after leaving the Congress. Jyoti was the Congress candidate from Nagaur in the LS polls last time.

While the BJP is contesting all 25 seats this time, there was speculation that the Congress may form new alliances with the regional parties. However, this seems to be wrong as its discussions for an alliance with the Bharat Adivasi Party and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party have not materialised, said party officials.

There was also talk of a Congress alliance with the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), RLP and the Left. But due to various reasons this did not happen. The BAP was demanding two seats from the Congress — Dungarpur-Banswara and Udaipur. But the Congress was ready to give only one seat. In such a situation, the Congress declared its candidate from Udaipur.. for the Dungarpur seat, the BAP also declared MLA Rajkumar Rot as its candidate. It now seems clear that both the parties have parted ways.

At the same time, the speculation about an alliance with Hanuman Beniwal for the Nagaur seat has also been put to rest. The Jat leaders of the Congress, the leaders of Nagaur and the state leadership were not ready for an alliance with the RLP. Now, the party has decided to field its own candidate in Nagaur.

Party sources said that “Beniwal has won the assembly polls with a thin margin. He has been asking for a ticket for his wife, but how can he promise winnability when he won the assembly polls with a small margin? Also, he was speaking badly about the Congress during the assembly polls so it might have given a wrong projection of our party, they added.

Meanwhile, many veteran Congress leaders including minister Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, former minister Lalchand Kataria and Rajendra Yadav have joined the BJP and many more are expected to join the party on Saturday. On the other hand, BJP MP Rahul Kaswan has joined the Congress after being denied a ticket by the party.

In 2019, voting was held in two phases in Rajasthan for the 25 seats. Votes were cast for 13 seats in the first phase and for 12 seats in the second phase. Out of these 25 seats, seven seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. While Udaipur, Banswara-Dungarpur and Dausa are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, the Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Bharatpur and Karauli-Dholpur seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes.

There were over 4.77 crore voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan out of which around 3.24 crore had cast their votes. The total voting percentage in the state in the Lok Sabha elections 2019 was 67.9%. This was more than the voting percentage of 63.1% in the 2014 elections. In 2014, there were a total of 4.29 crore voters out of which 2.71 crore had cast their votes.

Now, before the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, the total number of registered voters in the state has crossed 5.32 crore, said officials adding that, “The supplementary lists would be updated till 10 days before the last date of nomination for the Lok Sabha elections.”

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Two former Cong ministers join BJP in Rajasthan

The BJP has made Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya its candidate from Banswara Lok Sabha constituency….reports Asian Lite News

In a big jolt to the Congress party ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, several Congress leaders, including former ministers Rajendra Yadav and Lal Chand Kataria, joined the BJP in the presence of Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma, Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari and Rajasthan BJP President CP Joshi.

Former Congress MLAs Richpal Mirdha, Vijaypal Mirdha, Khiladi Bairwa, former independent MLA Alok Beniwal, former state spokesperson of Congress Rajasthan Suresh Chaudhary, Rampal Sharma and Riju Jhunjhunwala, among other leaders, also joined the ruling party in the state

Speaking at the event, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma said, “I welcome those who have joined (BJP) after watching our ideology, PM Narendra Modi’s work and BJP’s trust. I assure you that we will not let the spirit with which you have joined BJP under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi be broken… This is the time of India’s development.”

Earlier, on February 19, senior Congress leader and former minister Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya, who hails from Banswara district in Rajasthan, had also left Congress and joined the BJP.

The BJP has made Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya its candidate from Banswara Lok Sabha constituency.

Former state president of the Rajasthan BJP and convenor of the BJP Joining Committee, Dr. Arun Chaturvedi, said that the beginning was made with Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya and today the Congress leaders who have joined the BJP are the first step in the same chain, Many leaders will join the BJP in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Tika Ram Jully said, “Only those who are leaving Congress can tell the reason, whether they’re leaving out of fear or greed. Be it position within the party or respect, Congress has given them everything.

“If the leaders are leaving the party, the party has no loss. It will be at a loss only when its Karyakartas will leave it, but Congress’ Karykartas are strong and they know what to do. BJP talks about ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ but keeps adding people from the Congress. Where is BJP’s ideology left then?… They (BJP) talk about ‘370 paar’ but they’re in fear if they can win even 272 seats…” Tika Ram Jully added.

On March 3, the former Congress leader, Mool Chand Meena, rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party

“Impressed by the efficient leadership and public welfare policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Mool Chand Meena rejoined the BJP family today in the presence of State President CP Joshi in the BJP state office,” the Rajasthan BJP posted on X.

In 2018, Mool Chand Meena quit the BJP to join Congress and is the former Zila Pramukh of Jaipur.

After quitting the Congress party, Mool Chand Meena said that he was impressed by the efficient leadership and public welfare policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Setting the pace ahead of its rivals, the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In the first list of 195 candidates, the BJP included 28 women, 47 youth, 27 Scheduled Castes, 18 Scheduled Tribes and 57 OBCs. The party announced 51 candidates in Uttar Pradesh, 24 in Madhya Pradesh, 15 each in Gujarat and Rajasthan, 20 for West Bengal, 12 in Kerala, 11 each for Assam, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, nine in Telangana, five for Delhi, two for Jammu and Kashmir, two for Arunachal Pradesh, one for Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Daman and Diu also.

In Delhi, it has decided to field only Manoj Tiwari, the sitting Lok Sabha member from northeast Delhi, and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi has been replaced with young face Basuri Swaraj, daughter of late BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj, from New Delhi; former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has been chosen to contest from Vidisha constituency in the state; and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from Kota.

With Prime Minister Modi urging senior ministers from Rajya Sabha to contest Lok Sabha elections, the party fielded Union ministers Bhupender Yadav from Alwar in Rajasthan, Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar and Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot (Gujarat), Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Thiruvananthapuram, and V Muraleedharan from Attingal constituency. Another Rajya Sabha member and national vice president of the BJP Saroj Pande will contest from the Korba Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh. Union Minister Rameshwar Teli is replaced by Cabinet minister and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh (Assam) constituency.

Union Ministers who are being fielded from their sitting seats are Gajendra Shekhawat in Jodhpur, Smriti Irani in Amethi, S P Singh Baghel in Agra, Sanjeev Balyan in Muzaffarnagar, Ajay Mishra Teni in Kheri, Arjun Ram Meghwal in Bikaner, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in Fatehpur, Subhash Sarkar in Bankura and Nishit Pramanik in Cooch Behar. (ANI)

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BJP Discusses Roadmap For Rajasthan

A detailed discussion was held on the implementation of the ‘historic’ decisions like the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and the Yamuna Water Agreement….reports Asian Lite News

A core committee meeting was held at the Rajasthan BJP office here on Thursday under the chairmanship of the party’s state unit chief C.P. Joshi, in which the roadmap for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections was discussed, sources said.

A detailed discussion was held on the implementation of the ‘historic’ decisions like the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and the Yamuna Water Agreement.

Along with brainstorming on the preparations for the upcoming general elections, the strategy to make the lotus bloom in all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was discussed, sources said.

After the meeting, state BJP chief Joshi said that an action plan for the upcoming programmes in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections has been prepared. Discussions were also held on how everyone can participate in the campaigns like the ‘Gaon Chalo Abhiyan’ and ‘Shakti Vandan Abhiyan’, which have been launched by the party.

“The party has already started to hold cluster meetings. Home Minister Amit Shah recently visited Bikaner, where he held a meeting with eye on the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

“Also, an intellectuals’ conference of three Lok Sabha constituencies was organised in Jaipur. Amit Shah’s visit provided guidance to the workers and infused new energy into them. In the coming time, other national leaders of the BJP will visit the state and hold several meetings,” Joshi said.

In response to a question on other party leaders joining the BJP, he said, “Historic work has been done in the last 10 years under the leadership of PM Modi. Impressed by these works, people are coming from other parties and joining the BJP without any conditions. No assurance is being given to anyone from our side. Impressed by the policies and working style of the BJP, people are continuously coming into the party, and the BJP family is growing.”

Even an ordinary worker in the BJP can apply for any post as per his wish, he added.

Those who attended the meeting included Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary, State Co-incharge Vijaya Rahatkar, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, among others.

Cong leaders on 2-day tour

 Veteran Congress leaders in Rajasthan have started a two-day tour to hold dialogues with party workers and review preparations for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, said Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and Spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi on Thursday.

Rajasthan PCC President Govind Singh Dotasra, AICC in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully will visit Dausa, Bharatpur and Dholpur during the two day programme and discuss five Nyay (youth, farmers, women, workers, participation) issues with Congress leaders and workers.

On Thursday afternoon, workers will participate in the programme at the Shri Ram Mandir located on Gupteshwar Road in Dausa Lok Sabha constituency and on Friday, workers will participate in the dialogue program to be organised at Mahatma Gandhi Veterinary College in Bharatpur Lok Sabha constituency.

“We will talk to Congress leaders, workers and public representatives and get their feedback. We will also give instructions for preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections,” said Chaturvedi.

The Congressmen present at the conference will be provided programme details for the preparations of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra.

Chaturvedi said that on Friday evening Dotasra, Randhawa and Jully will reach Dholpur and take stock of the preparations for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, its possible route and programs.

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First-Time MLA Bhajanlal Sharma is New Rajasthan CM

BJP has picked legislators Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa as Deputy Chief Ministers…reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has designated Bhajan Lal Sharma, a first-time MLA from the Sanganer assembly constituency, as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, along with two Deputy Chief Ministers for the state.

The announcement was made following the BJP legislature party meeting in Jaipur on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of the central observers appointed by the party — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, party national general Secretary Vinod Tawde and MP Saroj Pandey.

BJP in-charge of Rajasthan Pralhad Joshi was also present at the meeting.

The party picked legislators Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa as Deputy Chief Ministers. Former state minister Vasudev Devnani would be the Assembly Speaker, Rajnath Singh said after the meeting.

Prem Chand Bairwa, the sitting BJP MLA from the Dudu constituency in Rajasthan, secured victory in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly Election, defeating Congress candidate Babulal Nagar with a margin of 35,743 votes.

Diya Kumari won from the Vidyadhar Nagar constituency, triumphing over Congress’ Sitaram Agarwal by a margin of 71,368 votes. She is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last ruling maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur. Her appeal for votes was made as a “daughter of Jaipur” and the “princess who walks on the streets”.

Expressing gratitude, CM designate Bhajanlal Sharma assured that all Rajasthan MLAs, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, would strive for holistic development in the state.

“I would like to assure you that all the MLAs of Rajasthan will definitely meet the expectations that the people have with us, with the BJP. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, we will ensure holistic development of Rajasthan in all areas,” CM designate said.

Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker-designate Narendra Singh Tomar praised Sharma’s dedication to the party and ideology, expressing confidence in his capable leadership.

“Bhajanlal Sharma has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He is an experienced worker of the party…He is dedicated to the party, and its ideology and his election has sent a good message to the workers. I am very confident that his capable leadership will work in Rajasthan and meet the vision of PM Narendra Modi. I congratulate him and extend him my best wishes,” Tomar said.

Rajasthan CM designate Bhajanlal Sharma’s supporters celebrated outside his residence in Bharatpur.

Madhya Pradesh CM-designate Mohan Yadav congratulated Bhajanlal and said that he will pray to Baba Mahakal to set new records of development in Rajasthan.

“I congratulate my friend Bhajanlal who has been elected as the CM there. I wish for him to be the most successful CM of Rajasthan. I pray to Baba Mahakal to set new records of development in Rajasthan. Together, under the leadership of PM Modi, double-engine governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will take the state ahead,” Yadav said.

Moreover, Rajasthan CM designate Sharma’s mother Gomti Devi said that it has happened by God’s will…I had never thought this would happen.

His father Krishna Lal Sharma in Bharatpur said, “It is a great thing…”

In Jaipur, Bhajanlal’s wife, Geet Sharma, extended her gratitude to the public and leaders, considering it a blessing from Prime Minister Modi. She remarked, “I thank the public and all the leaders. This is a blessing given by Modi ji.”

Celebrations unfolded with firecrackers being burst at the residence of BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani, who is set to become the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha.

Union Minister and BJP MP Kailash Choudhary said that in the BJP, our party has taught that CM post is a responsibility, not a post.

“In BJP, we have been taught that this (CM post) is a responsibility, not a post. In the coming days, the government will give good governance and bring development to the state,” he added.

Rajasthan BJP MLA Rajyavardhan Rathore said that party makes decisions after careful consideration.

“Parties make decisions after careful consideration. The Rajasthan BJP has received strong leadership. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all our senior leaders,” he added.

“This is a fantastic decision. What can be a bigger thing than a ground-level worker being given the opportunity? A man who has seen poverty closely, has led the life of a common man and understands the pain of the common man has been given the opportunity. This is great. I would like to extend him my greetings. Under the leadership of Bhajanlal Sharma, Rajasthan will see all-round development,” Rathore said.

Furthermore, party MLA Balak Nath said that all the selected members will take state forward.

“CM Bhajanlal Sharma, Deputy CMs Diya ji and Bairwa Ji and Speaker Devnani ji together will take the state forward,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan BJP president CP Joshi said that it is a very joyful moment that Bhajanlal Sharma’s name has been announced for the CM post of Rajasthan.

“He has been serving the party delicately for a very long time… It is a very joyful moment that Bhajanlal Sharma’s name has been announced for the CM post of Rajasthan,” Joshi said.

He further said that Bhajanlal Sharma was proposed as the Chief Minister and leader of the legislative party.

“Today, Bhajanlal Sharma was proposed as the Chief Minister and leader of the legislative party. Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa will be the Deputy CMs. Senior leader Vasudev Devnani will be the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha…I congratulate all of them once again on behalf of the entire Rajasthan. This is the victory of Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

He won the Sanganer assembly seat with an impressive margin, securing 145,162 votes against his Indian National Congress (INC) opponent, Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who polled 97,081 votes.

In Rajasthan, the vote count painted a starkly different picture from what some of the pollsters had predicted, with the BJP poised to form the government, winning 115 seats, and the Congress trailing at 69 seats.

Rajasthan went to the polls for 199 of the 200 assembly seats on November 25. The majority mark in the state is 100. (ANI)

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High drama on last day of Rajasthan poll campaign

A total of 5,26,90,146 voters will decide the fate of candidates across 51,507 polling stations tomorrow…reports Asian Lite News

The election campaigning in Rajasthan wrapped up on Thursday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi getting the Election Commission over his derogatory remarks on Prime Minister while PM Modi getting emotional after recognizing a 95-year-old BJP leader Dharam Chand Derasariya who was sitting in the general audience section at an election rally in Deogarh.

The political campaigning ended today in Rajasthan which is set to witness voting on November 25.

Addressing an election rally in Rajsamand’s Deogarh, PM Modi said, “Today here I saw Derasariya ji sitting here at this age. Almost 6 decades of his life he spent on our ideology. He was sitting in the audience down there and was blessing each of us.”

He launched an all-out attack against the Congress government, alleging that under the party’s rule, the state had become “number one” in the “riots, crime, corruption and paper leak” case.

On the last day of campaigning for the Rajasthan assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held mega roadshows in Chittorgarh and Nathdwara constituencies of the poll-bound state on Thursday.

Amit Shah was welcomed by a huge crowd of supporters, showering flowers and cheering his motorcade.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday criticized the ruling Congress government in Rajasthan, alleging that the communal clashes took place in the state with planned strategies and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot failed to take any concrete action against the rioters due to ‘vote bank’ politics.

Addressing a press conference here in Jaipur, on the last day of the campaign for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, Amit Shah said that the state witnessed several incidents as an example of the appeasement politics by the Gehlot-led Congress government.

The Election Commission of India on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘Jaibkatra’ (Pickpocket) and ‘Pannauti’ remarks on Prime Minister Modi in an election rally.

The BJP wrote a complaint to ECI on November 22 about Rahul Gandhi using derogatory remarks about PM Modi in his rallies.

“Whereas, a complaint has been received from the BJP alleging that you, on 22nd November 2023 in a public meeting at Bayatu, District Barmer, Rajasthan made wild allegations and spoke in a derisive and obnoxious manner about the Prime Minister. It is alleged that comparing a PM to a “Jaibkatra” (pickpocket) and using the word “Pannauti” is unbecoming of a very senior leader of a National Political Party. Further, the allegation of grant of waivers of Rs. 14,00,000 crores for the past 9 years, is asserted by the BJP, as not borne out on facts,” the ECI letter to Rahul Gandhi said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took a jibe at BJP on Thursday ahead of the state assembly elections.

Attacking the Saffron party, Gehlot said that the BJP is annoyed by the fact that it could not topple the Government in Rajasthan.

“The BJP formed Government in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh after toppling the Government, but it could not do so in Rajasthan, hence it is annoyed.

Addressing a Press Conference in Jaipur, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said “The Prime Minister and his entire team is campaigning here in Rajasthan but they will be staying here only till November 25 elections, after that the party won’t show its face”.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “We are going to form the government in all 5 states.”

Under the Rajasthan Assembly Elections-2023, voting will be held on November 25 in 199 assembly constituencies of the state. All preparations for voting in the districts have been completed. A total of 5,26,90,146 voters will decide the fate of the candidates at a total of 51,507 polling stations in the assembly constituencies.

1,70,99,334 young voters in the 18-30 age group will vote, including 22,61,008 new voters in the 18-19 age group.

Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that polling stations have been set up at a total of 36,101 places in the state. “A total of 10,501 polling stations have been set up in urban areas and 41,006 in rural areas. Live webcasting will be conducted at a total of 26,393 polling stations. These polling centres will be monitored from the district-level control room. Across the state, 65,277 ballot units, 62,372 control units and 67,580 VVPAT machines including reserves will be used for voting,” he said.

Gupta said that 2,74,846 polling personnel will conduct the voting. 7960 women polling personnel will take command at women-managed polling stations and 796 disabled polling personnel will take command at disabled-managed polling stations.

“Wheelchairs have been arranged for voting at all the polling booths, taking advantage of which the disabled people and senior voters above 80 years of age can cast their vote without any inconvenience,” he added.

The Chief Electoral Officer said that a total of 1,02,290 security personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful voting. A total force of 69,114 police personnel, 32,876 Rajasthan Home Guard, Forest Guard and RAC personnel have been deployed and 700 companies of CAPF have been deployed.

“To conduct free and fair elections, 3 flying squads and 3 SST teams will be deployed in each assembly constituency for intensive checking and monitoring on the voting day,” the CEO said.

“A total of 41,224 big and small vehicles have been acquired for voting so that the movement of polling teams, security personnel, EVM machines and sector officers can be facilitated. 17,617 vehicles have been acquired for the police force and polling parties, 20,844 small passenger vehicles for sector officers, and 2470 trucks/mini trucks for transportation of EVM machines,” he added.

Of the 200 assembly seats, 199 will be contested on November 25, as elections in the Karanpur constituency were adjourned due to the passing of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.

In 2018, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73. Gehlot assumed the CM position with the support of BSP MLAs and independents. (ANI)

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Rajasthan: Congress Manifesto Pledges Caste Census, Farmer Support

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with CM Ashok Gehlot, and Sachin Pilot were among those who released the ‘Jan Ghoshna Patra’…reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of Assembly polls in Rajasthan, the Congress on Tuesday released its manifesto, which promises to hold a caste-based census, a new scheme for recruitment at the panchayat level and enactment of a law to implement the mininum support price for farmers in the state among other gaurantees.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with chief minister Ashok Gehlot, and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were among those who released the ‘Jan Ghoshna Patra’ – at the state party office here.

The party said it is committed to enacting a specific law to implement the Minimum Support Price (MSP) called the Minimum Support Price Guarantee Act, following the Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations.

The manifesto promises Rs 2 lakh interest-free loan to farmers and free education in private institutions after introducing RTE law.

Chief Minister Gehlot, after releasing the manifesto, said that his government is aiming to achieve the number-one position in per capita income in the country.

“…The way in which we have managed the financial situation of Rajasthan, the people of Rajasthan will feel proud about it… The per capita income has increased by 46.48 per cent in Rajasthan. Till 2030, it is our dream to achieve the number-one position in per capita income. In 2020-21, the state GDP reached 19.50 which is the highest in the decade…” Gehlot said.

After the release of the manifesto, Kharge addressed mediapersons and stated that Rajasthan has always been a stronghold of the party.

“Rajasthan has always been a stronghold of the Congress. We have always made promises that could be fulfilled,” Kharge said.

The Congress manifesto stated that wherever the party forms its government, it has also promised for a caste survey in Rajasthan.

“To formulate policies based on the spirit of equal social welfare for all sections of the society, we will conduct caste-based census.” The party further pledged to increase the amount of the ‘Chiranjeevi’ scheme– the Mukhyamantri Nishulk Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh annually.

“The price of gas cylinder which is currently Rs 500, will be reduced Rs 400. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 and Indira Gandhi urban employment will be increased from 125 to 150 days,” it added.

The Congress also promised to provide houses for everyone by bringing the Right to Housing Act. “We will provide education facility till class 12 instead of class 8 under RTE by bringing education guarantee law in the state,” the manifesto read.

It pledged to introduce legislation for strengthening the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), address pay scale discrepancies across various government cadres, including ministerial staff and granting APEX scale promotions in various state services.

Rajasthan is set to undergo assembly polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Of the 200 assembly seats in the state, 199 will be contested on November 25 as the elections in the Karanpur assembly constituency were adjourned after the Congress candidate from Karanpur, Gurmeet Singh Koonar, passed away due to sepsis. Koonar was the sitting MLA from Karanpur.

The BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 Legislative Assembly elections and formed the government in Rajasthan. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents. (ANI)

Kharge: BJP Displays Signs of Election Panic

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday trained his guns at BJP over Enforcement Directorate (ED) attaching properties of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company which owns various publications including National Herald.

The Congress said that it is a clear indication of the saffron party’s panic in the ongoing elections and their attempt will fail.

Kharge also said that pattern of misuse of agencies during elections is not new which now stands fully exposed before the entire nation.

“Reports of attachment of AJL’s properties by the Enforcement Directorate are a clear indication of the BJP’s panic in the ongoing elections,” Kharge wrote on X.

“Staring at defeat in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, the BJP government feels compelled to misuse its agencies. This attempt too will fail and the BJP will be defeated in the polls,” he said.

The Congress leader said, “This pattern of misuse of agencies during elections by the BJP establishment is not new and now stands fully exposed before the entire nation.”

Reminding the role of the National Herald in freedom struggle, Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said: “National Herald was the voice of the freedom movement. The Indian National Congress is proud of its role in the Freedom Movement. We are reminded of Pandit Nehru’s quote on the masthead of the newspaper — ‘Freedom is in peril, Defend it with all your might’.”

“We will continue to fight for the ideals on which our democratic republic is founded. The Indian National Congress has full faith in the wisdom of the people of India to see through this nefarious game,” he added.

His remarks came after the ED attached the properties of AJL worth Rs 751.9 crore

The investigation agency claimed that both Congress-linked organisations were ‘beneficiaries’ of proceeds of crime and the assets included immovable properties.

The ED said that its probe in the money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act revealed that “AJL is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs 661.69 crore and Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL.”

The ED registered a case of money-laundering on the basis of process issued by a Delhi Court after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.

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Rajasthan Polls: 326 Candidates, 61 from BJP, Have Criminal Cases

Congress with BJP flag.

A report has been prepared on this by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Rajasthan Election Watch…reports Asian Lite News

A report published on Saturday revealed that of 1,875 nominees for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, a total of 326 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, and of them, 61 are from the BJP.

A report has been prepared on this by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Rajasthan Election Watch. The report analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 1,875 candidates.

The report stated that out of 1,875 candidates analysed, 688 are from national parties, 105 are from state parties, 348 are from registered unrecognized parties and 734 candidates are contesting as Independents.

“Out of the 1,875 candidates analysed in Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023, 326 (17 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Elections, out of 2,188 candidates analysed, 320 (15 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves,” the report said.

It said that 236 candidates (13 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases while in 2018 polls, 195 (9 per cent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

The report said: “Among the major parties, 61 (31 per cent) out of 200 candidates analysed from BJP, 47 (24 per cent) out of 199 candidates analysed from Congress, 12 (6 per cent) out of 185 candidates analysed from BSP, 18 (21 per cent) out of 86 candidates analysed from AAP, 28 (36 per cent) out of 78 candidates analysed from Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, 13 (72 per cent) out of 18 candidates analysed from CPI-M and two (12 per cent) out of 17 candidates analysed from Bhartiya Tribal Party have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.”

The report further said that 42 out of 200 candidates analysed from BJP, 34 out of 199 candidates analysed from Congress have serious cases against them.

It also said that eight out of 185 candidates analysed from BSP, 15 out of 86 candidates analysed from AAP, 24 out of 78 candidates analysed from RLP, 12 out of 18 candidates analysed from CPI-M and one out of 17 candidates analysed from BTP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The report further said that 36 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women.

“Out of 36 candidates one candidate has declared case related to rape. Four candidates have declared cases related to murder against themselves while 34 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder against themselves,” the report stated.

The report further said that there are 45 out of 200 constituencies are red alert constituencies.

Red alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

It said that 48 constituencies in the Rajasthan assembly elections 2018 had three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.

The report further said that out of the 1,875 candidates analysed, 651 are ‘crorepatis’ while in 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Elections, out of 2,188 candidates, 597 were ‘crorepatis’.

It said that there are 259 candidates who have assets more than Rs 5 crore, while 200 candidates have assets between Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore, 408 candidates with assets between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore.

It further said that there are 501 candidates with assets between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and 507 candidates with assets less than Rs 10 lakh in the 2023 assembly elections. The report also said that among the major parties 176 out of 200 candidates analysed from BJP, 167 out of 199 candidates analysed from Congress have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore.

It said that 36 out of 185 candidates analysed from BSP, 29 out of 86 candidates analysed from AAP, 36 out of 78 candidates analysed from RLP, five out of 18 candidates analysed from CPI-M and one out of 17 candidates analysed from BTP have declared assets valued more than Rs one crore. Polling for 200 member Rajasthan assembly is scheduled on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.

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BJP’s Power Trio to Rally in Rajasthan This Week

Star campaigners Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda are scheduled to visit Rajasthan this week as the party is set to release its election manifesto….reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of BJP’s election campaign will again visit poll-bound Rajasthan this week, with a huge rally in Barmer on Wednesday, and Bharatpur and Nagaur later on Saturday.

BJP party President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah will be in Rajasthan with each addressing four and five rallies or roadshows, respectively, their itinerary document showed. While Nadda will cover the Dausa, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer districts, Shah will visit Tonk, Rajsamand, Bundi, and Ajmer districts.

BJP President JP Nadda will release the election manifesto or ‘Sankalp Patra’ in Jaipur this Thursday.

BJP’s principal competitor in Rajasthan is Congress, which is presently ruling the western Indian state. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Ashok Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.

Party sources earlier told ANI that the manifesto may encompass relief measures for government employees addressing wage disparities, support for unorganised sector workers, and expansion of the Devnarayan scheme for religious site development.

The manifesto may also include five dozen commitments, such as free education up to post-graduation for students, and providing gas cylinders to families covered under the Ujjwala and Ladli Sister schemes for Rs 450, said party sources.

BJP manifesto committee comprises Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Coordinator Ghanshyam Tiwari, Co-coordinator Kirodi Lal Meena, National Minister Alka Singh Gurjar, former Deputy Speaker Rao Rajendra Singh, former Central Minister Subhash Maharia, Prabhulal Saini, and Rakhil Rathore, among others.

Approximately one crore suggestions and forms have been collected from across Rajasthan for the BJP manifesto.

Rajasthan is set to undergo assembly polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Gehlot Slams Modi, Shah

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, saying that wherever they go, their job is to “mislead people”.

“Wherever Amit Shah and Narendra Modi go, their job is to mislead people, but you should not get influenced by anyone’s words. Now they do not have any issue; they are campaigning in the name of religion,” Gehlot said while participarting in ‘Diwali Sneh Milan’ organised by the Jodhpur District Congress Committee in Rajasthan.

Speaking about this year’s Karnataka Assembly election, he said that the “slogan of Lord Bajrangbali was raised a lot in Karnataka by the BJP leaders. But their (BJP’s) tactics did not work and a Congress government was formed in Karnataka,” Gehlot said.

CM Gehlot said that Rajasthan has become number one in the country in terms of milk production.

“We have worked to fulfil the 10 guarantees that we had given. Rajasthan is at number one in providing jobs to the youth; three lakh jobs were given,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister also said that Rajasthan is the first state where a separate budget was presented for farmers.

Rajasthan will go to the polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP secured 73 seats in the 200-member House.

Congress formed the government with support from the BSP and independents. (ANI)

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Ex-BJP MP Joins Congress Ahead of Rajasthan Polls

Ram, who is a four-time MP and one-time MLA has returned home to Congress after nine years as he left Congress and joined BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha Election…reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly Election, former MP Colonel Sona Ram returned to Congress on Sunday, nearly nine years after he had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ram took membership of Congress in the presence of state Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Ram, who is a four-time MP and one-time MLA has returned home to Congress after nine years as he left Congress and joined BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha Election.

Ram joined Congress after meeting Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi and It is almost certain that Ram will be contesting on Gudamalani seat from Congress ticket.

The Congress has released its seventh list of 21 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly polls on Sunday, fielding state minister Shanti Dhariwal from the Kota North seat.

The last date for filing nominations is November 6. Rajasthan is among five states that will go to the polls next month.Rajasthan will go to the polls on November 25, the counting of which will take place on December 5, along with four other state assembly elections. (ANI)

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