Assembly election: Rajasthan goes to polls on Sunday

Jaipur: All arrangements are in place for tomorrow`s election to 199 Assembly seats in Rajasthan as over 4 crore electors are likely to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 2,087 candidates, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state BJP chief Vasundhara Raje.

The casting of votes at 47,223 polling stations across the state will begin at 8 PM and over 4.08 crore electors, including 1.92 crore women would exercise their franchise amid tight security, a Chief Election Office`s advisor (PR) said today. Polling in Churu Assembly constituency, where nine candidates are in fray, has been postponed to December 13 following the death of BSP candidate Jagdish Meghwal. There are 166 women and one eunuch in the fray. Congress and BJP have fielded 200 candidates each, BSP 195, CPI(M) 38, CPI 23, NCP 16, other parties 666 and Independents 758 (including Churu Assembly constituency). Congress has fielded 31 fresh faces, 19 ministers, and 29 sitting MLAs. Gehlot is contesting from his home turf of Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur district against BJP`s Rajput candidate Shambhu Singh Khetasar. Vasundhara Raje will be giving tough time to Congress` woman NSUI leader and former MLA Meenakshi Chandrawat on the Jhalarapatan seat in Hadauti region. PCC president Chandrabhan is facing a triangular contest with sitting MLA Rita Choudhary and BJP`s Muslim candidate Saleem Tanwar from Mandwa seat. Assembly Speaker Dipendra Singh Shekhawat will try his poll fortune from Srimadhopur seat against BJP candidate Jhabar Singh Khara. Mamta Sharma, chairman of NCW, will face poll battle from her rival of BJP Ashok Dogra from Bundi seat. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Krishna Poonia is trying her fate against the sitting BJP woman MLA Kamla Baswa from Sadulpur Assembly seat. Former minister and accused in infamous Bhanwari Devi murder case Mahipal Maderna`s wife Leela Maderna, and his co-accused legislator Malkhan Singh Vishnoi`s 82-year-old mother Amri Devi are also in the fray from Osian and Luni Assembly seats respectively. Yet another tainted and sacked minister of Gehlot government Bharosi Lal Jatav, who was involved in illegal mining activities, is in fray facing BJP candidate Rajkurmari Yadav from Hindon in Karauli district. Out of 47,223 polling stations, 10,793 have been marked as critical. A total of 1,19,272 police personnel, including 509 companies of Central Protection Force (38,175 CRPF personnel) would be deployed to ensure free and fair polls and with an aim to increase 10 per cent polling this time. There are over 17 lakh new electors in the age group of 18-19 years. Lok Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena, convener of National People`s Party (NPP), which is not recognised political party by Election Commission, has fielded 133 candidates. Meena, a tribal leader, is giving sleepless nights to Congress and BJP and could play a deciding role in government formation after the polls as his support is expected to be crucial. He is contesting elections from two seats; one in Sawaimadhopur against ex-royal Diya Kumari of BJP and Congress` Danish Abrar; and on Lalsot seat he is pitched in a triangular contest against Congress` Parsadi Lal Meena and BJP`s Virendra Meena. Jailed ex-minister Babulal Nagar`s brother Hazari Lal Nagar is contesting on Congress` ticket against BJP candidate Prem Chand Bairwa from Dudu seat. Sitting MLA Ramlal Jat, who had to step down as minister after being accused of sexual harassment of a women, is contesting from a new seat Asind of Bhilwara district against the sitting BJP MLA Ramlal Gurjar. Jat had won the previous poll from Mandal seat in Bhilwara district. BJP`s other stalwarts and sitting MLAs Gulab Chand Kataria, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi (son in law of former vice president B S Shekhawat), Digamber Singh, Devi Singh Bhati, Siddhi Kumari-- a member of Bikaner royal family, and Diya Kumari-- new entrant in politics and a member of Jaipur royal family are among 200 party contestants. Among other heavy weights contestants include Congress` Shanti Dhariwal, UDH minister, versus a noted Gujjar leader Prahalad Gunjal who has just returned to BJP in Kota (North) constituency.