Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The Opposition BJP wrested power from the Congress in Rajasthan on December 3 by obtaining a clear majority, winning 115 of the 199 seats while the Congress was at a distant second with 69 seats.
The desert State has maintained its tradition of voting out the incumbent Government during the last three decades in the election results. The BJP had for the first time not projected its CM candidate.
The race for the chief ministerialship has begun with Mahant Balaknath, who won the Tijara constituency, being considered as the front-runner. Others in the race are Vasundhara Raje and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Ashok Gehlot, who is known by his sobriquet “Jadugar”, resigned from the post of Chief Minister, calling the results “unexpected for everyone.” Seventeen of the 25 Ministers in the Ashok Gehlot Cabinet, including Govind Ram Meghwal, who also led the party’s campaign committee, lost the election.
In the state, the BJP had fielded seven MPs out of which four won. Those who won are Rajyavardhan Singh, Diya Kumari, Kirodi Lal Meena (Rajya Sabha MP) and Baba Balaknath.
The MPs who lost are Narendra Kumar, Bhagirath and Devji Patel.
| Rajasthan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parties | Leading/Won | |
| BJP | 115 | |
| INC | 69 | |
| IND | 8 | |
| BHRTADVSIP | 3 | |
| BSP | 2 | |
