Photos: Congress-BJP Battle it Out with Barbs and Jibes As Rajasthan Votes

Polling for the high-stakes election started at 7 am on Saturday, 25 November.

(Photo: PTI)

The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is up against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Rajasthan, India's largest state, votes in 200 Assembly constituencies. Polling for the high-stakes election started at 7 am on Saturday, 25 November.

As per the Election Commission of India (ECI) 68.24 percent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in Rajasthan.

Photographed here is an elderly voter at a voting centre in Pushkar.

(Photo: PTI)

This is a crucial election for the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje. 

Throughout the election campaign, reports of a rift between Raje and party high command were doing the rounds. Raje, arguably one of the most popular leaders in the state, was not projected as the BJP's chief ministerial face in the run-up to the polls. 

"I also agree with him (Ashok Gehlot) that there is an undercurrent. But he will recognise the undercurrent on the 3 December and the undercurrent will make it very clear that it is in favour of the BJP," she told the media after she cast her vote.

(Photo: PTI)

In the 2018 state Assembly elections, the Congress won 100 out of the 200 constituencies in the state, and the BJP's tally fell to 73.

The Congress then formed the government with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) which had six MLAs in the Assembly who later defected to the Congress.

Veteran party leader Ashok Gehlot then became the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, whereas Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief Sachin Pilot became the deputy Chief Minister. 

"The seven guarantees of the Congress will work. The claims of this being Modi's election are baseless. This is an election for the Assembly, Modi's name won't work here. After today, all of them will vanish and return after five years. We will still be here," Gehlot told the media after he cast his vote in Sardarpur on Saturday. 

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There were a total of 1,862 candidates in the fray in Rajasthan which has over 5 crore voters.  Of these, 1.71 crore voters are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 22.61 lakh are new voters from the 18-19 age group.

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Since 1993, Rajasthan has followed the revolving door policy by not given any government a second term. 

Photographed here are people standing in queue to cast their vote in Bikaner. 

(Photo: PTI)

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and his family member cast their vote in Jodhpur. 

Earlier, there were rumours of the BJP fielding Shekhawat and several other Union Ministers in the state in a bid to sideline Vasundhara Raje. 

While Shekhawat was not fielded, seven MPs, including Rajyavardhan Rathore and Diya Kumari are contesting elections and will most likely stake claim to the CM chair if the BJP wins.

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Lok Sabha MP from Rajasamand and member of Jaipur’s former royal family, Diya Kumari is the BJP candidate from Vidhyadhar Nagar seat. She is also believed to be one of the frontrunners for the CM post if the BJP wins.

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There are approximately 2.5 crore women voters in Rajasthan. And both Congress and BJP, during their campaigns focused on significant women outreach. 

While the Gehlot government announced schemes such as Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Yojana for women and the Annapurna Yojana among others, the BJP has promised to install CCTV cameras for women’s safety along with 33 percent reservation for women in the police force along with the formation of three women battalions in the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC).

(Photo: PTI)

Congress leader and Tonk MLA Sachin Pilot cast his ballot at a polling booth in Jaipur. Pilot has been at loggerheads all throughout the tenure. 

While he is expected to win the seat, his margin may fall compared to the historic mandate he recieved in 2018.

"For the past 10 years, there has been a BJP government at the Centre. People are seeing unemployment and inflation. People want change. Congress will benefit from it," he said.

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Over 1 lakh security personnel were deployed to ensure peaceful voting in the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Counting of votes will take place on 3 December.

(Photo: PTI)