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Rajasthan Assembly Election Results 2023 Live Updates: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) crossing the majority mark in Rajasthan, former CM Ashok Gehlot has tendered his resignation to the governor. The trend of the state changing the government every five years continues.
All eyes are now on BJP to declare the next CM with several leaders including Vasundhara Raje, Diya Kumari, Gajendra Shekhawat, and Baba Balak Nath being the frontrunners.
Meanwhile, here's an interactive map of how the Congress and the BJP has fared compared to 2018.
Also follow LIVE updates of the results of the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana on The Quint.
Watch The Quint's conversation with Faye D'Souza for incisive analysis and updates of the results:
BJP has won 115 seats in Rajasthan as of 10:30 PM. The party has crossed the majority mark of 100 seats and is set to form its government in Rajasthan.
"This lead will keep growing. We will win over 135 seats," said Rajasthan's BJP chief CP Joshi.
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has tendered his resignation to the state's governor.
Congress' Sachin Pilot has retained his Tonk seat, while former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje won from Jhalrapatan.
During campaigning, the Congress banked on Gehlot and the BJP contested without a chief ministerial face.
The state voted in a single phase on 25 November with a 74.13 percent voter turnout.
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Exit polls for Rajasthan that were released on 30 November, have given mixed predictions. While most pollsters gave the BJP a lead, a few others predicted that the party would be in a neck-and-neck fight with the Congress.
Here are the results from various exit polls:
(Photo: The Quint)
Exit polls are usually seen as an indicator of polling trends. Sometimes, they have proven to be in sync with the final results but on other occasions, they have ended up being inaccurate.
So, how accurate were the exit polls in the previous Rajasthan Assembly election in 2018?
Take a look:
(Photo: The Quint)
(Photo: The Quint)
Contrary to popular expectations of a comfortable BJP victory due to the trend of alternating governments in the state, three agencies (that is, India TV-CNX, India Today-Axis My India, and News 24-Today’s Chanakya) have predicted a Congress victory, with the latter emerging as the single-largest party.
If these three pollsters turn out to be correct in their assessment, then how has Ashok Gehlot, the jaadugar, turned the tables, given that he was supposedly on the backfoot?
Read the full analysis here.
Counting of votes will begin at 8:00 am for all the 199/200 Assembly seats across Rajasthan.
Catch the The Quint reporters' exclusive one-on-one chat on the election results 8:30 am onwards.
"The counting of votes will begin shortly, and the BJP will form the government (in Rajasthan) with a thumping majority," said Rajasthan Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Churu constituency, Rajendra Rathore, as per ANI.
Ahead of the poll verdict, Rajasthan minister and Congress leader BD Kalla said, reported ANI: "I can say that I will get mandate of people of Bikaner and enter the Legislative Assembly...Congress will repeat government in the state."
The counting of votes for one of the most awaited Rajasthan assembly elections have begun at 8:00 am.
As counting of votes begin, BJP leads in early trends as Congress comes as a close second.
In early trends, BJP's Baba Balaknath leads in Tijara seat as Congress' Imran Khan trails behind.
BJP's Vasundhara Raje leads in Jhalrapatan constituency in the early trends as of 8:30 am.
BJP takes a huge lead in Rajasthan as they cross the halfway mark in the early trends as Congress remains a close second.
Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi said, “The public has blessed BJP with complete majority. Misgovernance and injustice will lose; Good governance and justice will prevail," as per ANI.
Congress' Sachin Pilot leads in Tonk constituency as of 9:00 am as early trends continue to pour in today.
"The bad governance will end in Rajasthan, and the BJP will form the government with a clear majority," said BJP leader Upendra Yadav, as per PTI.
The incumbent chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot leads in Sardarpura constituency.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore of BJP is trailing behind in Jhotwara seat as per early trends.
BJP's Diya Kumari from Vidhyadhar Nagar is leading as of 9:35 am.
Earlier, she also offered prayers at Govind Devji temple in Jaipur.
BJP's candidate from Sawai Madhopur Kirodi Lal Meena leads as counting of votes continues in the state.
"They (Congress) looted the people in these five years, defrauded them, and made false promises, and as a result the people decide to bid farewell to them and bring BJP to power," says Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi as initial trends favour BJP, reported PTI.
"This lead will keep growing. We will win over 135 seats," he added, as per ANI.
With BJP leading in MP & Rajasthan, party leader Jaiveer Shergill said, " BJP will win 3-0 in this assembly elections. The party's 'vijay rath' will come to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Telangana, if not this time, BJP will fly its flag high in the state the next time."
"It is going to be 'balle balle' for the BJP. The BJP's score is going to be 3-0," he added, as per PTI.
Union minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat says, "BJP will win with a huge majority in Rajasthan. Jadugar ka jadoo khatam ho gaya hai. In MP, the BJP will form govt with a 2/3 majority. In Chhattisgarh, the party will form the government," as per ANI.
Manisha Panwar of Congress leads in Jodhpur as Atul Bhansali of BJP trails behind at 10:40 am.
Dr. Manju Devi of Congress is leading in Jayal as Dr Manju Baghmar trails behind as of 10:45 am.
While Tikaram Jully of INC leads against BJP's Jairam Jatav in Alwar (rural), Sanjay Sharma of BJP is leading in Alwar (urban) and Ajay Agarwal of INC.
Yunus Khan, an independent candidate is leading against Chetan Singh Chaudhary of INC in Didwana.
Balmukundachary of BJP is trailing behind in Hawa Mahal seat as RR Tiwari of INC leads as of 11:30 am.
BJP workers dance and celebrate at the party office in Jaipur as the party continues its lead in the state.
(Photo: PTI)
In Jaipur, Rajasthan, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "There will be a change and Congress will win the elections," as per ANI.
Harlal Saharan of BJP leads in Churu while Congress' Rafique Mandelia trails behind as of 12 PM.
"Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's 'magic' has not worked," said BJP leader and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, as per PTI.
He added, "People of Rajasthan have given their blessings to BJP. I thank them and our karyakartas for their hard work."
Satish Poonia of BJP leads in Amber as Prashant Sharma of INC trails behind as of 12:30 PM.
"There is a tsunami of Modi ji across Rajasthan and across India. We will be forming the government (in Rajasthan) with a huge mandate," says BJP leader Diya Kumari as BJP leads in Rajasthan assembly elections, as per PTI.
Rajkumar Roat of Bharat Adivasi Party has won Chorasi seat with a total of 111,150 votes and a margin of 69,166 votes.
Ashok Gehlot of INC is leading by 18,999 against Professor Dr Mahendra Rathore in Sardarpura seat as of 1:30 PM.
Sachin Pilot of INC is leading against Ajit Singh Mehta of BJP from Tonk with 10,110 votes as of 1:30 PM.
Maha Balaknath of BJP is leading against Imran Khan's INC with 6,420 votes in Tijara seat as of 1:45 PM.
BJP's Vasundhara Raje continues to lead in Jhalrapatan against Ramlal of INC with 50,628 vote margin.
BJP's Rajyavardhan Rathore is leading in Jhotwara against Abhishek Choudhary of INC with a vote margin of 32,890.
Incumbent Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has arrived at the Congress office in Jaipur, reports ANI.
BJP's Samaram wins Pindwara abu constituency with a total 70,647 votes with a margin of 13,094, as per the Election Commission of India.
BJP's Govind Prasad wins Manohar Thana seat with a total of 85,304 votes and a margin of 24,865, as per ECI.
As election results become clearer, the big question now is: will BJP make Raje the CM again? And if not, then who will be the next CM of Rajasthan?
In this piece, The Quint analyses the most prominent contenders who could potentially be the new CM face, Vasundhara Raje, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Balaknath, among others.
BJP's Diya Kumari wins Vidhyadhar Nagar seat with a total of 158,516 and a winning margin of 71,368.
BJP's Dr Jaswant Singh Yadav wins from Behror with a total of 70,400 votes and winning margin of 17,223.
Ex-chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje has won from Jhalrapatan seat with a total of 138,831 votes and a winning margin of 53,193.
Rathore, who is a BJP MP and its candidate from Jhotwara, while speaking to ANI said, "I thank PM Modi - who is our leader and inspiration - BJP workers, people of Jhotwara and Rajasthan who gave me this opportunity to serve Rajasthan after being elected as an MLA. The credit for this victory goes to PM Modi's untiring work. The trust with which his schemes reach every household - it is with that blessing that the BJP is registering such a massive victory."
Former Rajasthan CM spoke on BJP taking a lead in Rajasthan and told ANI, "This victory is of the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vishwas and sabka prayaas' given by PM Modi. It is the victory of the guarantee given by the PM. It is also the victory of the strategy given by Amit Shah and the able leadership provided by Nadda ji. Most importantly, it's a victory for our party workers."
While speaking to PTI, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "We have got a very good success in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and the public has supported our policies, formed under the guidance of PM Modi."
BJP's Rajyavardhan Rathore has won the Jhotwara seat with a total of 1,47,913 and a winning margin of over 50,000 votes.
On his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Kharge thanked the people of Telangana for the mandate they received. He further mentioned that the Congress party's performance in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh has been disappointing.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot has retained his Tonk seat with a total of 1,05,812 votes and a winning margin of 29,475.
Former Rajasthan CM and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje reaches party's office in Jaipur, as reported by ANI.
BJP's Vishvaraj Singh Mewar has defeated the speaker of Rajasthan Assembly and Congress leader CP Joshi for the Nathdwara seat. Mewar won the seat with a total of 94,950 votes and with a margin of over 7,000 votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his X handle, thanked the people of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh for their unwavering support. He said, "The results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan indicate that the people of India are firmly with politics of good governance and development, which the BJP stands for."
On his X handle, incumbent Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot conceded defeat and said that he accepts the mandate given by the people of Rajasthan.
Speaking to ANI on BJP's lead in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "In all four states today, the BJP has been given a tremendous vote of confidence by the voters. In Telangana, our vote share and seat share have significantly expanded... The politics of divisiveness, insulting the PM, casteism, appeasement, corruption and money power that the Congress was throwing in these elections have been defeated by the people... The formula of guarantees has been rejected by the people... People have shown that they don't believe in election-time gimmicks. The only person they believe in and trust is PM Modi..."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on his X handle, thanked the people of Rajasthan. He congratulated the people for blessing the BJP, led by PM Narendra Modi, with victory.
On BJP's lead in Rajasthan, former CM Ashok Gehlot told ANI, "We did not leave any stone unturned and were fully prepared for the elections. We thought people would vote for us based on our current schemes but that did not happen. We will analyse this. I thought people would take revenge from PM Modi and HM Amit Shah but I think the public could not understand this..."
Speaking to ANI, Rajasthan BJP state president CP Joshi said, "Rajasthan BJP president CP Joshi says, "...The people of Rajasthan believed in PM Modi's guarantee. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the people of Rajasthan and also express my gratitude to our workers who worked hard day and night. It is due to the hard work of our workers that we got a clear majority..."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his official X handle said, "We humbly accept the mandate of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan - the battle of ideology will continue."
The deputy leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, Satish Poonia, lost the Mewar seat to Congress candidate Prashant Sharma.
While speaking to ANI, Union Minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, "...I had already said that BJP will form the govt with a big majority. Now that the historic results of the three states have come...The public have rendered their faith in PM Modi..."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda reach the party headquarters in Delhi, as reported by ANI.
Mahant Balak Nath has won the Tijara seat with a total of 1,10,209 votes and with a margin of more than 6,000 votes.
Speaking to ANI on BJP's lead in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister Arjun Munda said, "The people have faith in the BJP and PM Modi... Under PM Modi's leadership the BJP regained the trust of the people. The people of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh assured to bring the double engine government for the welfare of the states."
Reacting to BJP's lead in Rajasthan and two other states, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said, "People have accepted the leadership and the development model of PM Modi...BJP has been successful in getting a huge mandate in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. This shows that people will support BJP and Narendra Modi ji will become the Prime Minister for the third time..."
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has tendered his resignation to Governor Kalraj Mishra, ANI reported.
The BJP is celebrating at its party headquarters in Delhi after registering major success in the assembly elections held in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President JP Nadda are attending the event.
Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, "In these assembly elections, there were several attempts to divide the country into castes. But, I kept on saying that for me, four castes are the biggest. When I talk about these castes, they are women power, youth, famers, and the poor. Empowering these castes will empower the country."
He further said, "Some people are even saying that today's hattrick has guaranteed the hattrick of 2024."
BJP candidate and Leader of Opposition of Rajasthan, Rajendra Rathore, lost the Taranagar seat against Congress candidate Narendra Budania. The latter won the seat with over 10,000 votes.
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP) President Hanuman Beniwal wins the Khinwsar seat with a total of 79,492 votes and with a winning margin of just over 2,000 votes.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot retained his Sardarpura seat with a total of 96,859 and with a margin of over 26,000 votes.
With a political career spanning over nearly four decades, former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia is one of the most popular leaders in the state.
However, as the BJP registers a comfortable win in Rajasthan, Raje has been put at crossroads. What are the possible options for Raje? Read our full analysis here.
While speaking to ANI on BJP's performance in three states, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi said, "PM Modi has given guarantee. People rose above the petty issues and voted for the development and progress of the country. It is the win of the people."
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI, "These are the expectations of the rising India and it is a warning to those who make allegations against the ED and the CBI every day. People answered the foul language used against the Prime Minister and the caste politics done for personal gains... You cannot talk about the caste for your own goals and keep pushing one family forward. BJP is committed to the development of the backward and the extremely backward classes..."
Despite several polls showing Ashok Gehlot as the most popular choice for being the chief minister, the Congress has been defeated in Rajasthan. The BJP crossed the majority mark in the elections without having a CM face.
The Quint analyses six reasons that resulted in the loss of Congress in the state assembly elections. Read our analysis here.
The BJP registered a comfortable victory in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, proving the prediction of exit polls wrong. From the party campaigning on the back of PM Modi to cashing on the anti-incumbency factor in the state, here's what worked for the BJP and what didn't.
Watch our video to find out more.
Speaking to ANI, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "I want to thank the people of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, for supporting PM Modi. India will become a world leader under PM Modi...we don't have any doubt, people will make PM Modi win the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third time."
Reacting to BJP's win in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told ANI, "It is not just a majority, it is an extreme level of faith... The people have expressed faith in the leadership of PM Modi, BJP and the NDA... The people who have been rejected by the people gathered to insult the PM... The people have given a befitting reply..."
According to a report by Hindutva Watch — a research group based in Washington — Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh ranked third among Indian states in terms of anti-Muslim hate speech in the first half of 2023.
The Quint analysed how the BJP's pro-Hindutva campaign in the state determined the fate of seven assembly seats in the state - Tijara, Pokaran, Hawa Mahal, Kaman, Karauli, Udaipur and Masuda. Read our analysis here.
Keeping true to its tradition of changing the government after every elections since 1998, the BJP is set to come to power after defeating the Congress party in Rajasthan.
We mapped the difference between the 2018 elections which saw Congress emerge as the single-largest party, to the 2023 results where the BJP has won with a large majority. Read our story here.