E-Paper
Saffron surge gives Cong one of its worst defeats in Rajasthan
Proving its detractors wrong, BJP on Thursday wrested power in Rajasthan on an anti-incumbency wave against Congress regime.
Proving its detractors wrong, BJP on Thursday wrested power in Rajasthan on an anti-incumbency wave against Congress regime headed by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
The results indicate that BJP surged ahead in all the divisions of the desert state as most of the ministers in Gehlot government, including the two Deputy Chief Ministers -- Kamla Beniwal and Banwari Lal Bairwa -- and Home Minister Gulab Singh Shaktawat, bit the dust.
Although Ashok Gehlot himself was elected by a big margin of over 19000 votes, he could not save his party from a near rout.
Riding on a "Parivartan (change)" wave, BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje won her seat with convincing margin of over 27000 votes defeating her surprise rival Rama Pilot, widow of late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, who represents Dausa in Lok Sabha.
Congress suffered heavily in its traditional bastions in Marwar and Mewar.
Although independents, mostly rebels of both BJP and Congress, have shown their might in about a dozen constituencies, BSP, INLD and Social Justice Front could not make their impact as expected.
But they did not account for what is viewed by pollsters as a "fracture" of voting percentage to the detriment of mainly the party in power.
Besides, the Congress game plan of seeking reservation for economically backwards appears to have alienated the OBSCs.
