On Saturday, voters in Rajasthan will choose representatives for the 200-member state assembly. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to overthrow the established party and continue the state’s five-year party rotation tradition, the Congress hopes to hold onto power.
The BJP accused the ruling party of corruption, law and order problems in the state, and internal infighting within the Congress, while the Congress focused on highlighting the welfare programs and progress card of the Ashok Gehlot government during the heated campaign.
In the Congress manifesto, the Rajasthani people were promised seven guarantees’, which included an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 for the female heads of families and a caste survey.
Among the promises made by the Congress to the voters are the following: free laptops and tablets for students; an increase in the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme to Rs 50 lakh; LPG cylinders at Rs 500; the purchase of cow dung at Rs 2 per kg; the reinstatement of the old pension scheme for government employees; and Rs 15 lakh per family as compensation for natural calamities.
A host of welfare initiatives for women, students, and farmers have also been pledged by the BJP. These consist of raising the wheat minimum support price, paying for land acquisition, setting up anti-Romeo squads, offering savings bonds worth Rs 2 lakh to families with daughters, providing free scooters to deserving students, raising the LPG gas subsidy to Rs 950, and making commitments to the travel and tourism industry.
During the campaign, state-wide rallies were conducted by national leaders of the Congress and BJP. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the BJP campaign, national president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Gehlot, and others campaigned throughout the state for the Congress.
Despite Rajasthan having 200 assembly seats, polling will only be conducted on 199 due death of a Congress candidate in the Karanpur constituency.
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