JAIPUR: With most of the exit polls predicting a neck-to-neck race between the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan, both the national parties are busy seeking support from the independent players and other smaller parties.
Most exit polls have either predicted that the BJP or Congress of winning with a slim majority. The confusion of it all either of the parties will cross the majority mark is now the talk of the town thus both the parties are now working to somehow put together a majority in the state.
All eyes are now focused on the 15 to 20 rebel, independent and other party candidates, whose winning chances are higher and could play a role in the formation of the government in Rajasthan.
For instance in Chittorgarh seat, Chandrabhan Singh Akiya, a BJP rebel who is a two-time sitting MLA of the party was denied a ticket by the saffron party and is now said to be well placed in the Chittorgarh contest.
Similarly in Barmer district's, Shiv constituency, a young BJP rebel Ravindra Singh Bhati is reportedly ahead of both the BJP and Congress candidates in the electoral battle.
Independents and rebels like these may end up as winners and could well play an important role in government formation in Rajasthan.
Also crucial will be smaller parties like Hanuman Beniwal's RLP or Rashtriya Loktantrik Party which could get a handful of seats especially in the Jat belt of Rajasthan.
Likewise in the tribal belt of South Rajasthan, BAP or the Bhartiya Aadivasi Party is expected to win a few seats and could make it an interesting scene in Rajasthan.
Similarly, in East Rajasthan Mayawati's BSP is likely to win a number of seats, just as in earlier elections in Rajasthan BSP had half a dozen seats and could play a key role in government formation this year too. a top leader of the Tribal party BAP in southern Rajasthan Rajkumar Raut has claimed that , "Exit polls have shown that the calculations of both the parties have gone wrong. I think our party will win around 10 seats and we will be the kingmakers in Rajasthan."
For the Congress, it is Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and also state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra are believed to be reaching out to all the independents, rebels and smaller parties to try and get their support for the grand old party.
READ HERE | Rajasthan: Exit polls predict a neck-to-neck race; both Congress and BJP confident of securing majority
While the exit polls may be reflecting a lot of uncertainty Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has asserted that the Congress is well on its way to retaining power in the state. "We are quite confident that we will form the next government unless BJP has been able to misguide people through its religion card the Congress will continue to serve the people of Rajasthan," Gehlot said.
Similarly, on the BJP side, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje is said to be quietly reaching out to a number of party rebels who were earlier regarded as her loyalists and are now said to be well-placed to win the elections.
In addition, state BJP chief CP Joshi, leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are said to be said to be reaching out to potential allies and strongly placing rebels and independents.
Over the past month, most surveys and polls had given a definitive edge to the BJP in the Rajasthan election but with three of the major exit polls predicting a possible Congress victory, the mood in the grand old party is now quite upbeat. In case the ultimate results pan out on the lines of the exit poll predictions the Congress may emerge as a surprising winner and retain power in Rajasthan when the results come out on December 3rd.
Moreover, if the exit poll trends turn into the real verdict on Sunday, the role of the Governor of the state will be critical, as neither of the two major parties seems to be getting a clear majority.
In such a scenario, Governor Kalraj Mishra could have a decisive role in who gets invited to form the government. Already within a few hours of the exit polls results coming out Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited Raj Bhavan in Jaipur and met with Governor Kalraj Mishra at his residence on Thursday.
After the meeting, Gehlot claimed it was just a courtesy call but he did admit to having discussed some important political issues with the Governor. In contrast, the BJP which has no officially declared Chief Ministerial face for the state has so far not approached the Governor though the saffron brigade does have a lot of informal links to Mishra who was earlier a BJP stalwart in Uttar Pradesh.
Overall, the Congress and the BJP or excited and enthused by the exit poll trends and both the major parties are now said to be putting in their best efforts to cobble together a majority. In Rajasthan, who will ultimately get a majority or form the government remains a mystery but hectic parleys are now underway from both the major parties.
While the exact results will become clear on 3rd December, the political temperature in the desert state has shot up sharply after the exit polls even as the Mercury continues to dip across the desert state!
