Voters in Rajasthan haven’t elected the same party to power for two terms in a row for the past two decades.
In 1998, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress stormed to power after decisively defeating the BJP. Five years later, Vasundhara Raje became the first female chief minister of Rajasthan by defeating the Congress in the 2003 assembly elections. But she lost Rajasthan to Gehlot again in 2008.
In the 2013 assembly elections, the erstwhile Maharani of Dholpur got a historic mandate. The BJP bagged 163 seats, and the Congress was almost wiped off from the state. It barely crossed the 20-seat mark in the 200-member House.
This time round, the Congress is hopeful that anti-incumbency will work in its favour – more so after its recent by-poll wins in the state. BJP lost all three bypolls, for two key Lok Sabha seats of Alwar and Ajmer and the Mandalgarh assembly constituency.
Watch the full video for a complete look at crucial numbers, main issues and the key contenders for the Rajasthan electoral battle. (Aditi Prasad)
