The Congress managed to overcome internal conflicts in Rajasthan and present a united front besides capitalising on the farmer anger
The Congress has made a significant comeback in Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan after failing to win any seats in the state in the 2014 and 2019 national polls. It was leading on eight of the state’s 25 seats while its allies were ahead on three. The BJP has won one seat and was leading on 13 others.
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Experts credited better candidate selection among the reasons for the Congress’s turnaround. The party managed to overcome internal conflicts and present a united front besides capitalising on the farmer anger. The Congress rallied support from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Communities by raising concerns about potential changes in the Constitution and threats to the quota system.
The Congress fielded a majority of newcomers except for former chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot, who lost the 2019 polls from Jodhpur. Experts believe that the decision to give three seats to allies also worked in Churu, Sikar, and Banswara.
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Political analyst Manish Godha said the Congress performed well in eastern and northern regions of Rajasthan, where it also proved its strength in the 2023 assembly polls.
“Farmer issues worked in the Shekhwati region. In eastern Rajasthan, concerns related to the Constitution worked for Congress…. caste-based and religious polarisation did not work this election. Another major reason for such a result is less polling and lack of enthusiasm among workers of the BJP and [its ideological fount] RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh].”
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Another expert Narayan Bareth said unemployment, inflation, and secularism were bigger issues and people rejected polarisation.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said people blessed them and understood that the BJP is a party of liars. “They realised that they made a mistake [by electing the BJP] in assembly polls and have now rectified it.” He claimed the Congress-led alliance would form the government at the Centre and there was no question of Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister.
Gehlot said the BJP got neither 370 nor the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 400 seats and in such a situation Modi should now withdraw his name as the prime minister. He said the BJP has been unable to get a clear majority in the name of Modi. He said Modi claimed that BJP will cross 370 seats and the NDA 400.
