Rajasthan Election Results 2023: Can Ashok Gehlot put an end to the trend of ‘revolving door’ in Rajasthan politics? Or will ‘lotus’ bloom once again? These questions will be answered on December 3 when the Election Commission announces the results of Rajasthan Election 2023. The desert state witnessed a fierce battle between major political parties in the 2023 assembly elections. The polls were held on November 25 in a single phase.
Rajasthan has a history of voting out the ruling party. This year too, the anti-incumbency factor will play a decisive role. While CM Ashok Gehlot is confident about returning to power, BJP looks at this poll as a stepping stone for its 2024 Lok Sabha electoral campaign. Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje are big names that are key faces of Rajasthan 2023 assembly polls.
KEY FACES OF RAJASTHAN
1. Ashok Gehlot: Gehlot has been elected from his constituency Sardarpura since 1998. He has a strong hold in the constituency and is now looking at a fourth term as the Chief Minister of the state. The 72-year-old veteran from Congress is battling against BJP’s Dr. Mahendra Singh Rathore. The anti-incumbency ‘rivaaj’ shall come to an end if Gehlot is elected again.
2. Vasundhara Raje: Vasundhara Raje, a two-time former chief minister of Rajasthan, has been the face of the BJP in the state for 20 years. She aims to regain the CM’s position in the 2023 elections, facing challenges from younger opponents. Despite her absence from party events after the 2018 defeat, the BJP’s fielding of her loyalists suggests support for her potential third term as CM if the party wins.
3. Sachin Pilot: Sachin Pilot, distinct from Gehlot in perception, showcased his leadership during the Congress’s 2018 Assembly victory under his state unit chief tenure. His political journey began after his father’s tragic passing in 2000. Taking over his father’s political legacy, he became the youngest-ever Lok Sabha MP in 2004 at 26. Despite setbacks in 2013 and 2014, Pilot’s 2018 success fueled his ambition for the CM’s position, leading to a failed rebellion in 2020. While Gehlot remains firm in his position, Pilot, advised by the high command, is biding his time. In the upcoming elections, the party looks to him to bolster support in eastern Rajasthan, particularly among the Gujjar community.
4. Rajendra Rathore: Rajendra Rathore, a seven-time MLA, has been undefeated in elections since 1990 and presently serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. He began his political journey as a student leader and later joined the BJP after starting in the Janata Dal. A close associate of former CM Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje, Rathore has said that he is not in the run for the Rajasthan CM position, despite other BJP members eyeing it. As LoP, he has criticized the Gehlot government on law and order and exam paper leaks. Rathore, a Rajput leader, holds considerable sway in Churu district, where he plans to contest from Taranagar, leveraging his support from Jat, Muslim, and Rajput communities.
5. C P Joshi: CP Joshi: Joshi’s political journey started in 1973 as president of Udaipur University Students’ Union. He has been elected as MLA from Nathdwara in 1980, 1985, 1998, 2003, and 2018. His ministerial career began in 1998 under CM Gehlot. Despite a narrow loss in 2008 to BJP’s Kalyan Singh Chouhan, Joshi became an MP in 2009 from Bhilwara and served as a Union minister until 2013. He assumed the role of Assembly Speaker in 2019, known for strict adherence to rules and holding Gehlot’s Cabinet ministers accountable. Presently, Joshi leads the party’s manifesto committee and is a member of the 10-member election core committee led by state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. In the Nathdwara election, Mr. Joshi is up against Vishvaraj Singh Mewar from the BJP, who is a descendant of the renowned Mewar king Maharana Pratap Singh.