Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of the Congress is seeking a second term in a state known for its revolving-door policy even as the BJP banks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity to get a majority.
Polling for 199 out of Rajasthan’s 200 seats began at 7 am today, and will continue till 6 pm. The election in Sriganganagar’s Karanpur seat has been suspended because of the death of Congress candidate and incumbent MLA Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
In the 2018 elections, the Congress had fallen just one short of the majority mark by winning 100 seats and the BJP had managed to win 73. The BJP’s tally had fallen from an absolute majority of 163 in 2013.
The elections are being contested by 1,862 candidates and the total number of voters is 5.25 crore. Of these, 1.71 crore voters are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 22.61 lakh are new voters from the 18-19 age group.