In RAJEsthan, Vasundhara shows the door to Congress

Jaipur: The BJP recorded an unprecedented victory to make a comeback in Rajasthan by winning 162 seats, highest so far by any political party in the history of the state. The Congress stands emaciated at 21 seats, its lowest tally so far.

Though CM Ashok Gehlot recorded a fourth consecutive victory from Sardarpura by a margin of 18,478 votes, the state  will hardly have any noticeable Opposition.

Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Vasund-hara Raje won from the Jhalrapatan constituency by an impressive margin of 60,896 votes.

Raje’s charisma had a contagion effect on the voters. Her slogan “Jai Jai Rajasthan” struck the right chord with the people. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s presence during poll campaign was like a double bonanza as his election meetings drew enormous crowds hysterically chan-ting “Modi, Modi, Modi.”

Speaking at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Sunday evening, Raje thanked the people, particularly the youth and women, who turned out in large numbers to ens-ure BJP’s success. She gave credit to the party workers and senior leaders particularly, Modi.

Gehlot while conceding his party’s defeat accused the BJP of making wrong allegations during the poll campaign. “Our focus was on development but the BJP made it to show as if we made schemes in last 6 months looking at elections but that is not true,” he said.

Ticket distribution took a further toll. Mr Gehlot faulted in ticket distribution or, failed to assert himself and succumbed to the views of party-in-charge Gurudas Kamat and Dr C.P. Joshi.

The image of the party was tarnished when it gave tickets to the kin of the tainted.

The Congress rout in Rajasthan saw the defeat of some high profile names including PCC chief Dr Chandrabhan, National Women’s Commission chief Mamta Sharma, tourism and forest minister Beena Kak, speaker of the Assembly Deependra Singh Shekhawat among others Leela Maderna, wife of former minister Mahipal Maderna — a key accused in the Bhanwari Devi scandal — lost by a margin of 15,396.

Similarly, brother of another tainted minister Babu Lal Nagar booked on charges of rape lost along with sitting MLA Udai Lal Anjana, who was also facing charges of rape.