In the upcoming phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the vast expanse of Rajasthan, the country’s largest state, is poised to conclude its voting process, encompassing 13 out of 25 seats, on Friday. Among the 152 contenders vying for victory, notable figures include Vaibhav, scion of the esteemed Ashok Gehlot and a stalwart of the Congress party, alongside the relatively obscure political figure Lumbaram Chaudhary representing the BJP.
In this electoral tableau, prominent personalities such as Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lower House, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Kailash Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, and Vaibhav Gehlot, son of the former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, are prominently positioned.
Vaibhav Gehlot, contesting from the Jalore-Sirohi constituency, is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for victory, having previously tasted defeat in the Jodhpur seat. Exuding optimism on the day of polling, Vaibhav expressed his confidence, stating, “I am unequivocally assured that the electorate is poised to effect change in Jalore this time around.”
In stark contrast, Vaibhav’s adversary, Lumbaram Chaudhary of the BJP, remains a relatively low-key figure in the political landscape, characterized by his grassroots origins and modest profile within the party ranks.
Meanwhile, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, a two-time MP from the Jodhpur constituency under the BJP banner, faces off against Karan Singh Uchirada of the Congress in the same electoral battleground. Despite the prevailing anti-incumbency sentiment, Karan Singh has left no stone unturned in his efforts to sway the electorate. Notably, in the previous election, Shekhawat secured victory over Vaibhav Gehlot by a margin of 2.74 lakh votes.
The battle for the Kota-Bundi seat intensifies as Om Birla, representing the BJP, locks horns with Prahlad Gunjal of the Congress, a candidate with close ties to Birla, who clinched victory in the last election by a staggering margin of 2.79 lakh votes.
In Barmer, another electoral battleground in the northern reaches of the state, the contest takes on a triangular dimension. Here, Union Agriculture Minister Kailash Chaudhary faces off against Umedaram Beniwal, a defector from the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party who has aligned with the Congress, and Ravindra Singh Bhati, an independent candidate and incumbent MLA from Shiv. The entry of these three formidable contenders has injected an element of intrigue into the electoral fray. Notably, Kailash emerged victorious in the previous election by a commanding margin of 3.23 lakh votes.
In addition to the general elections, a by-election is slated for the Bagidora assembly seat in Banswara, rendered vacant following the defection of Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya to the BJP.
Both the Congress and the BJP have mounted spirited campaigns, with the former relying on door-to-door canvassing while the latter has rallied around key figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Additionally, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also lent her support through campaign rallies for party candidates.