Rajasthan exit polls 2018: All you need to know

NEW DELHI: The desert state of India votes on Friday, December 7 to elect its new state assembly that faces a bipolar fight between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. The state has brought these two parties into power in alternate assembly elections for over two decades. The last time any party won two consecutive terms was in 1990 and 1993 when BJP won both times. In 2018 assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Aam Admi Party (AAP) are also in the fray but are not expected to make much of a dent.


Rajasthan Exit Polls 2018 Latest Updates

BJP's Vasundhara Raje, the state’s incumbent chief minister is facing a tough fight from Congress, whose president Rahul Gandhi, who has been targeting the state government over the tribal bill, MNREGA, electricity waiver and national issues like demonetisation, the farmers' crisis, lack of employment and press freedom. He has organised 13 rallies across the state travelling 8,490 km between September 20- December 1.

Meanwhile, BJP's president Amit Shah in his 15 rallies across the state has pegged his campaign on the 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' slogan, elaborating on schemes for both, the farmers and soldiers. Shah has also promoted surgical strikes apart from Raje's state's schemes.

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In Rajasthan, though opinion polls have favoured Congress, the fact that it has not announced a chief ministerial candidate may hurt the party’s chances of winning. So far, the fight within the party is between Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and former CM Ashok Gehlot. While 41-year-old Pilot has the youth-card in its favour, Gehlot is a known senior leader having run the state once already.

With 200 seats in its assembly, Rajasthan the majority mark is 101 seats. In 2013 assembly elections, BJP won the mandate with 163 seats while a depleted Congress secured only 21 seats. 'Others' won on 13 seats, more than the three that BSP could bag.