Rajasthan is all set to witness Assembly Elections on 200 seat constituencies on November 25 and the results for all the states that will go under polls will see the results on December 3, 2023. It is to be noted here that the term of Rajasthan Assembly will come to an end on January 14, 2024.The state has a unicameral legislature (a government with one legislative house or chamber of 200 seats, 34 of which are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 25 for the Scheduled Tribes. It has 25 seats in Lok Sabha (including three reserved for SCs and 4 for STs), and 10 in Rajya Sabha.As the state comes closer to the polls, let us take a look at the key information:Key PartiesThe Congress and the BJP are the two main parties in Rajasthan. Two other relevant parties are Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) And Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).Key CandidatesThe Rajasthan Assembly elections are a close contest. The outcome of the elections will have a significant impact on the states future and will give a glimpse of Lok Sabha 2024 elections too. Here are some key candidates who will fight in the polls:Ashok GehlotVeteran Congress leader and current Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been representing Sardarpura constituency of Jodhpur since 1999. This is his third term as Chief Minister. In 2018, Gehlot defeated BJPs Shambhu Singh by a margin of 45,597 votes.Sachin PilotSachin Pilot has been representing Tonk constituency since 2018. He will contest against BJPs Ajit Singh Mehta. In 2018, Pilot defeated BJPs Yunus Khan by a margin of 54,179 votes.Govind Singh DotasaraDotasara is currently serving as the current president of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, has been winning from Laxmangarh constituency since 2008. In 2018, Dotasara defeated BJPs Dinesh Joshi by a margin of 22,052 votes. This time he is facing BJPs Subhash Mehriya.Vasundhara RajeSenior BJP leader and two-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje has been capturing Jhalrapatan constituency since 2003 with record win. Earlier she represented Dholpur constituency. This time Raje is facing Congresss Ramlal Chauhan. In 2018, Raje defeated Congresss Manvendra Singh by a margin of 34,980 votes.Rajendra Singh GudhaRajendra Singh Gudha, who won the elections from Udaipurwati on BSP ticket in 2008 and 2018, joined Congress a few months after the 2018 results. After this he also remained a minister in the Gehlot government. He was dismissed a few months ago. Rajendra Singh Gudha, while waving the red diary in the Assembly, had said that it contains complete information about Ashok Gehlots corruption. A few days ago, he had joined Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction.Govind Ram MeghwalDalit leader and Rajasthan minister Govind Ram Meghwal is again in the election fray from Khajuwala seat. BJP has fielded Dr Vishwanath Meghwal in front of him.Hanuman BeniwalRashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief and MP Hanuman Beniwal is contesting from Khinvsar seat located in Nagaur, a Jat stronghold.Key IssuesUnemployment is a major issue in Rajasthan, particularly among the youth. The state has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Apart from this, Agriculture is the backbone of Rajasthans economy. However, farmers are facing a number of challenges, including rising input costs, low crop prices, and water scarcity. Education and healthcare are also on the list of agenda.CampaigningThe campaigning for the Rajasthan Assembly elections is in full swing. Both major parties, the BJP and the INC, have released their manifestos and are holding rallies and public meetings across the state. The BSP has also announced its candidates and is campaigning actively.What happened in 2018 Assembly electionsThe Congress won 99 members in the 2018 Assembly elections, falling two seats short of the majority of 101. But they pulled off an incredible comeback with the backing of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, came in second place with 73 seats.
