#RoadTo2019: After high-voltage campaigns, Rajasthan and Telangana cast votes
In what qualifies as an epic finale for the elections in five states, Rajasthan and Telangana went to polls on Friday to choose the next government. While Telangana is voting for 119 seats, in Rajasthan 199 seats are up for polls. The results will be announced on December 11, along with three other states- Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, which cast their votes recently.
Raje hopes to change trend, Congress depends on anti-incumbency
For more than two decades, Rajasthan has been voting out an incumbent government but sitting Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje hopes to change this trend. Meanwhile, Congress election-in-charge Sachin Pilot said no amount of campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP President Amit Shah can paint a nice picture of Raje's governance. Her government has been accused of high-handedness by the opposition Congress.
At rallies, leaders attacked each other, made controversial remarks
In Rajasthan, the outcome of the high-voltage campaigns was a lot of controversial statements. At rallies, PM Modi spoke about how his parents were dragged, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed Lord Hanuman a Dalit. Congress President Rahul Gandhi spoke about Rafale deal, lack of jobs and how farmers weren't taken care of in the last five years in the state.
Jaswant Singh's son is battling Raje in her turf
One of the highlights of poll-bound Rajasthan was leaders swapping sides and joining hands with an erstwhile opponent. The most prominent among this was BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, who is the son of party veteran Jaswant Singh, joining the Congress. He announced the decision at a swabhimaan rally in September. Singh was fielded by Congress in Jhalrapatan, a seat which Raje has won thrice.
KCR dissolved assembly, now faces both Congress and TDP
Notably, Telangana went to polls after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao dissolved the assembly. In June 2014, when assembly elections took place shortly after Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh, KCR led his party to win 63 out of 119 seats. Soon the party managed to lure legislators and its seat share went to 90. Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Congress have joined hands.
Separately, BJP and AIMIM have high hopes this time
In this election, BJP and Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are hoping to leave a mark. The saffron party sent its star campaigner Adityanath to the state where he promised to change cities' names and claimed Owaisi will have to leave India if BJP came to power. Owaisi shot back saying he was an Indian citizen and not a tenant.
