Rajasthan Assembly Elections: Top 15 Seats To Watch This Time

Voting for all 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan will take place on November 23, the Election Commission on Monday announced.

Apart from Rajasthan, the polling for four state assemblies of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana were also announced.

The nomination process will begin on October 30 and the last date for filing nominations is November 6. The counting will take place on December 3.

As the the EC announced the poll schedule, let us take a look at the top 15 constituencies to watch out for this election:

Sardarpura: This has been a stronghold for Congress. Since 1999, it has sent Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to the assembly. In 2018, he garnered 63 per cent of the vote.

Churu: A stronghold for the BJP, this constituency has been represented six times since 1990 by Rajendra Rathore, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. Congress leader Dotasra asserts that the sentiment in the constituency has shifted and challenges Rathore to contest from this seat once again.

Jhalrapatan: This seat has been a stronghold of the BJP. Former CM Vasundhara Raje has been elected from this seat since 2003. Raje won a closely contested election in the last term, defeating Manvendra Singh Jasol, son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, by approximately 35,000 votes.

Tonk: Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who has been challenging Ashok Gehlot's leadership in the state, emerged victorious in this constituency during the 2018 elections. The seat holds a significant number of Gurjar, Scheduled Caste, and Muslim voters.

Laxmangarh: Rajasthan Congress president, Govind Singh Dotasra, has continuously held the seat since 2008. The BJP had clinched the seat in 2003.

Jhunjhunu: Represented thrice by Jat leader Sis Ram Ola, the constituency has been under the winning streak of his son, Brijendra Ola, since 2008. Narottam Lal, Rajasthan's first Assembly Speaker from the Congress, hailed from this region. Another former Speaker, Sumitra Singh, secured victory here six times, with four of those wins attributed to her time as a Congress candidate.

Udaipurwati: Rajendra Gudha, recently dismissed from the Ashok Gehlot ministry, secured victory in this constituency in 2008 and 2018 on a BSP ticket but later switched to the Congress. Gudha, who alleges corruption by Gehlot and claims to possess incriminating evidence in a "red diary," is currently aligned with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.

Kota North: Since 1993, this seat has been alternately won by the BJP and the Congress. In 2003, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla emerged victorious. Rajasthan minister and incumbent MLA Shanti Dhariwal has been nurturing this constituency and eyeing this seat this time for his son.

Khinvsar: Situated in the Jat heartland Nagaur, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party chief and MP Hanuman Beniwal could be a contender for this seat. Former Nagaur MP and BJP member Jyoti Mirdha, a bitter rival of Beniwal, may also stand as a candidate.

Osian: Represented by first-time Congress MLA and Sachin Pilot-supporter Divya Maderna, this seat may face a challenge from RLP's Beniwal, who has conducted several rallies in the area. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party could present a formidable competition for the incumbent.

Anta: Represented by Rajasthan Mines Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya, this constituency may witness a tough contest if renominated by the Congress. Party colleague Bharat Singh Kundanpur has persistently criticized Bhaya over alleged corruption and could pose a significant challenge.

Udaipur: Gulab Chand Kataria vacated the seat, which he had won six times, upon assuming the position of Assam governor earlier this year. There is speculation that the BJP might now field a member of the erstwhile Mewar royal family in this constituency.

Khajuwala: Speculations suggest a potential contest between Dalit leader and Rajasthan minister Govind Ram Meghwal and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in this constituency.

Pokaran: Often influenced by religious affiliations, this constituency saw Muslim religious leader Gazi Fakir's son, Saleh Mohammad, defeat Hindu seer and BJP candidate Pratap Puri in 2018. The possibility of a rematch between the two is anticipated.

Bikaner West: While Education Minister B D Kalla currently represents this seat, Lokesh Sharma, the CM's Officer on Special Duty, has been frequently visiting and might compete for the party ticket.