The BJP candidates are on the winning trail, outdoing their opponents with thumping leads in Rajasthan. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports.
In the state of Rajasthan, it appears that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s will accomplish ‘Mission-25’, as the saffron party is already leading from all 25 seats. Following its thumping victory in December’s assembly polls, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had promised that the BJP would win all 25 Lok Sabha seats and counting shows that they are very close to this mark.
Congress stalwarts and sitting members of Parliament are facing a uphill battle with the BJP leaders leading by a minimum of 1 lakh votes. From four constituencies, BJP candidates lead with over 2 lakh votes while from 12 other constituencies, BJP candidates are leading with more than 1 lakh votes.
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Congress’ C P Joshi, the sitting MP from Jaipur rural seat, trails BJP’s Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore by over 1 lakh votes. Even Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, for whom Rahul Gandhi carried out a massive road show in Alwar, trails against BJP’s Mahant Chand Nath by almost 1.5 lakh votes. Congress state president Sachin Pilot, who is contesting from Ajmer, is also trailing by over 85,000 votes. CM Vasundhara Raje’s son Dushyant Singh is also leading by 82,000 votes against Congress’ Pramod Bhaya.
The only seat, which is seeing a close battle, is Karauli-Dholpur where Cong’s Lakhiram is giving a tough fight to BJP’s Manoj Rajoria. Even Jaswant Singh, the former BJP leader, now contesting as an independent is trailing from Barmer whereas former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who is contesting from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, is also trailing by 49,000 votes.
Image: BJP supporters celebrate outside the party's headquarters. Photograph: Reuben NV
