BJP decimates Congress in Rajasthan

In its worst performance ever in the desert state, Congress could manage just 20 seats out of the 192

Congress President Sonia Gandhi staring at the massive defeat of the Ashok Gehlot led Congress government in Rajasthan admitted, “I thought the chief minister had some very very good (welfare) programmes going but (now) there’s a question mark.” The party had logged in its worst ever defeat in the state, sliding down from a 102 in 2008 to an abysmal 21 ( till last tally). Despite Congress and Sonia Gandhi’s time tested “electoral sops” of free medicines and senior citizens pensions, the resurgent BJP under Vasundhara Raje as its chief ministerial face had made a clean sweep of the state with 161 seats. The BJP also managed to bag the majority of seats in the tribal dominated Mewar region, once again testifying to the dictum that ‘he who wins Mewar, wins the state.’

The Congress’ humungous defeat in Rajasthan bodes ill for a UPA and its chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who intended to launch into the 2014 polls bolstered by populist sachems such as food security and Direct Benefits transfer. The Rajasthan verdict which has always been cyclical, (never returning an incumbent government to power) nonetheless has soured the Congress dreams of overturning that tide, by bridging the differences (albeit for a short while) between Gehlot and former union minister CP Joshi. However that didn’t pay off, as Congress last minute appointment of Joshi as campaign committee chief concede Congress leaders sent out a wrong message indicating that he was pitted to be the chief ministerial candidate.

Vasundhara Raje won her home constituency of Jhalrapatan decisively establishing her leadership credentials in the state as she carried along arch rival Ghulab Chand Kataria who won his Udaipur seat.

The Mewar region comprising of the six districts Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand and Chittorgarh, where Congress had bagged  20 seats and the BJP six in 2008 had seen BJP doing the same five years earlier. In 2003 the BJP got 22 out of 28. This time around the BJP has repeated that feat gaining control of the state has well.

The verdict is being read as a mandate against caste based politics as Kirori Lal Meena sitting Dausa MP, who with his National People’s party ( he broke away from the BJP  and contested for the first time in 2008) and fancied his chances as kingmaker this time around , won his Lalsot seat but lost out to BJP royalty Diyakumari in Swai Madhopur. His wife Golma Devi, lost out to the BJP in Mahuwa. Meena  had contested 150 seats this time but bagged only a handful five at the most.

Again Col. Bainsla who championed the Gujjar cause and called for the caste vote to be aligned with the Congress also did not fare well electorally, in the saffron wave that engulfed the state.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot retained Sardarpura where he has been winning for the past three decades.  The party’s share in the 2008 assembly election was 36.82% as  against the BJP’s 34.27% and while vote shares have not emerged as yet, this is clear that the BJP share would have far eclipsed the Congress.’

Polling in Churu constituency, which was adjourned after the death of BSP candidate Jagdish Meghwal has led to 199 seats being declared in the state.

For the Congress which had 20 out of the current 25 MPs from the state, its rout spells doom in the coming 2014 elections as  a recharged BJP under Narendra Modi will only look at strengthening its gains in the Parliament polls.