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Recalling Rajasthan elections 2013: When Raje returned as CM with overwhelming mandate

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Jaipur, Dec 6: With Rajasthan set to go polls tomorrow (December 7), its worth recalling what happened during the assembly election in the western state in 2013. The BJP stormed to power in Rajasthan in 2013 by winning 163 out of the 200 seats while Congress could manage just 23 seats. BJP's Vasundhara Raje was sworn-in as the Rajasthan Chief Minister for the second time after the saffron party's thumping win in 2013.

File photo of Rajasthan Assembly

Both parties set a record in the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2013. While the BJP won highest number of seats ever in the state, the Congress had to settle with dubious record of bagging least number of seats ever in Rajasthan.

In 2008, the BJP lost the elections to Congress and veteran leader Ashok Gehlot was handed over the reins of the state. In 2013, Raje wrested the power from Gehlot and returned as the Chief Minister for the second time. Her first chief ministerial stint in the desert state was from 2003 to 2008.

Rajasthan in numbers:

State Rajasthan
Capital Jaipur
No. of Districts 33
No. of Assembly Constituencies 200
Total Population 6.85 Crore
Urban Population 1.70 crore
Rural Population 5.15 crore
GDP (2018-19) Rs 8.40 lakh crore
Literacy (2011) 66.10%
Sex ratio (2011) 928
Current Ruling Party BJP
Total No. of Voters 4,74,79,402
No. of Polling Stations 51,796

Raje had credited her success to the BJP's then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Rising from a National Executive member of BJP to one of its most powerful leaders, Vasundhara Raje reinvented herself and galvanised the cadre to spearhead her party's spectacular comeback to power in Rajasthan in 2013.

Ashok Gehlot, the outgoing chief minister in 2013 whose government was besieged by corruption allegations, attributed the thorough rout of his party, the Congress, to a negative campaign by the BJP.

Rajasthan saw high-pitched campaigns in 2013 by the top leaders in both parties. Prime Minister Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister, and Rahul Gandhi, toured the state extensively and addressed many rallies.

Religion-wise population in Rajasthan:

Religious data
Description Population Percentage
Hindu 60,657,103 88.49 %
Muslim 6,215,377 9.07 %
Sikh 872,930 1.27 %
Jain 622,023 0.91 %
Christian 96,430 0.14 %
Not Available 67,713 0.10 %
Buddhist 12,185 0.02 %
Other Religion 4,676 0.01 %

About the 2013 elections:

Polling was held on 1 December, 2013, in 199 assembly seats out of 200 seats. Polling in the Churu constituency was postponed to December 13, 2013, due to death of BSP candidate Jagdish Meghwal.

Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) along with EVMs was used in one assembly seat in Rajasthan elections. There were 2,087 candidates including 166 women and one eunuch candidate. INC and BJP contested on all 200 seats while BSP on 195 seats. 38 CPI(M), 23 CPI, 16 NCP, 666 other parties candidates and 758 Independents were also in foray. Over 4.08 crore voters including 1.92 crore women were eligible to exercise their vote. There were 47,223 polling booths. Total voting turnout was 74.38%, the highest ever in state assembly election. The highest turnout (85.52%) was recorded at Jaisalmer and the lowest (55.21%) at Bharatpur.

How major political parties fared in 2013 Rajasthan assembly polls:

Performance of Major Political Parties in 2013
Party Popular vote Seats
Votes % Candidates
Contested
Candidates
Won
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 13,939,203 45.2 200 163
Indian National Congress (INC) 10,204,694 33.1 200 21
Independents (IND) 2,533,224 8.2 758 7
National People's Party (NPEP) 1,312,402 4.3 134 4
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 1,041,241 3.4 195 3
National Unionist Zamindara
Party (nuzp)
312,653 1 25 2
Communist Party of India
(Marxist) (CPM)
269,002 0.9 38 0
Samajwadi Party (SP) 118,911 0.4 56 0
Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) 59,673 0.2 15 0
Other parties and candidates 479,700 1.4 573 0
None of the Above (NOTA) 589,923 1.9
Total 30,860,626 100

Key factors that may influence 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections:

  • Out of total population of Rajasthan, 24.87% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 17,048,085 of which 8,909,250 are males and while remaining 8,138,835 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 24.87 percent.
  • It is a an observed trend that as the voter turnout in urban areas increase, BJP does better.
  • Average Literacy rate in Rajasthan for Urban regions was 79.68 percent in which males were 87.91% literate while female literacy stood at 63.81%. Total literates in urban region of Rajasthan were 11,803,496. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a large number of youths are said to supported the BJP.
  • Raje has been in power for five-years. Many say anti-incumbency factor will play major role in 2018. Questions are being raised about law and order situation in the state.
  • There is a perception that Rajputs and Gujjars are upset with BJP. All three strongly supported BJP in 2013.
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