The victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in the 14th Rajasthan assembly polls has been the biggest one in the history of the desert state.
Led by Vasundhara Raje, the party has won 162 out of 199 seats in the state assembly, which has never happened. The BJP had won 78 seats in last assembly polls.
Only in 1998, under Ashok Gehlot leadership Congress had won 152 seats. The Congress, which had won 96 seats in 2008 and had formed the government, could only secure 21 seats this time.
Kirori Lal Meena's National People’s Party which was trying to become the third force in state could only win 4 seats in saffron wave. Meena lost his seat in Sawai Madhopur, from newcomer ‘princess’ Diya Kumari of the BJP. However, the NPP president could restore some of his pride, as he won from his second Lalsot seat.
The Bahujan Samajwadi Party which had won seven seats in the last assembly poll could only win three seats this time. Others won a total of seats in Rajasthan assembly.
As far as Rajasthan politics is concerned, no government has returned to power in the state since 1993.
That year, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat of the BJP had come to power, but five years later, the Congress returned with a record number of seats. However, Vasundhara Raje brought back BJP to power in 2003.
But Gehlot won the next election for the Grand Old Party in 2008. And now, after five years, in a landslide victory, the BJP broke all the records with 162 seats.
Even bigwigs of BJP had not expected so many seats.
“We had not even dreamt that we would win with such number of seats. But we will try to stand up to the faith showered upon us,” said Gulabchand Kataria, who could be made deputy chief minister.
But even after this historical win, political pundits cite more reason of failure of the Central leadership of the Congress than Raje or Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi wave in the state.
“It is a direct impact of failure of the Central leadership of the Congress against which the BJP has got such record win,” reacted senior journalist Om Saini.
Image: Vasundhara Raje at a rally.
