Jaipur: Riding a strong anti-incumbency wave coupled with Narendra Modi factor, BJP on Sunday wrested power from Congress decimating it by grabbing a four-fifth majority in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.
In its worst ever performance in the desert state, Congress could manage just 21 seats out of the 199 for which polling was held while BJP secured 162 seats.
Election officials said that BJP won 162 seats, Congress 21, Independents 7, NPP 4, BSP 3 and others 2. All but three of the 19 ministers of the Congress government, bit the dust.
Also read - Highlights of Rajasthan Assembly polls
State BJP president and party's chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje won from Jhalarpatan defeating Congress candidate Meenakshi Chandrawat with a margin of 60,896.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot won Sardarpura seat by defeating his nearest rival Shambhusingh Khetasar of BJP by a margin of 18,478 votes. Accepting defeat, Gehlot submitted his resignation to Governor Margaret Alva at Raj Bhawan here this on Sunday.
Poll results of Rajasthan
"I humbly accept the defeat and congratulate the winners. We will analyse what went wrong. We will see what were our sins and what were their good deeds which led to the defeat," he said after his party was routed.
Gehlot said, "If there is an undercurrent, there is no counter to it. I feel....the public has voted on the basis of an undercurrent." Congress had won 96 seats in the 2008 assembly polls when it had wrested power from Raje while BJP had 71 seats.
"The people of Rajasthan were tired of non-governance of Congress. It is something that follows from Delhi also. Therefore, Narendra Modi is a very big factor because people have seen what he has done in Gujarat," Raje said.
Several political heavyweights, including Rajasthan Congress Chief Chandrabhan and Assembly Speaker Deependra Singh, failed to save their seats. Chandrabhan was defeated by Independent candidate Narendar Kumar on Mandawa constituency with a margin of 17,118 votes.
Chandrabhan resigned from the PCC post after the party's defeat in the state polls. Deependra Singh lost Srimadhopur constituency in Sikar district to BJP candidate Jhabar Singh Kharra with a margin of 7,902 votes.
Rajasthan Health Minister Aimaduddin Ahmad Khan lost Tijara seat in Alwar and stood at third position. The seat was won by BJP's Maman Singh who defeated his nearest rival of BSP's Fazal Hussain.
Tourism minister Bina Kak was defeated by BJP candidate Madan Rathore on Sumerpur constituency in Pali district. BJP's Bhairaram Chaudhary won Osian constituency in Jodhpur and defeated Leela Maderna, wife of Mahipal Maderna, former minister who is jail in Bhanwari Devi abduction and murder case.
BJP candidate Jagat Singh, son of Natwar Singh, won Kaman seat of Bharatpur district by defeating Congress candidate Jayada Khan with a margin of 3,400 votes. NPP Convener Kirori Lal Meena won from Lalsot seat in Dausa district defeating his nearest rival Parsadi Lal Meena (Congress) by a margin of 491 votes. JD(U), SP, CPI and LSP failed to open their account this time.
As BJP won eight out of every ten seats in Rajasthan, the party saw its vote share rise to a record high of 46 per cent while that of Congress' fell to new low of nearly 34 per cent.
BJP's vote share touched an all-time high of 46 per cent. In the 2008 polls, the party had garnered 34.27 per cent of the total votes. Prior to that, the party's vote share stood at 39.20 per cent (in 2003), 33.23 per cent (1998) and 38.60 per cent (1993).
On the other hand, Congress saw its vote share fall to about 34 per cent in the latest polls. This compares with 36.82 per cent recorded in 2008, 35.65 per cent (in 2003), 44.95 per cent (1998) and 38.27 per cent (1993).
Out of the 200 Assembly seats, polling was held in 199 seats. The election for Churu constituency was put off due to death of BSP candidate. Among the prominent persons to suffer defeat included Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Krishna Poonia, who lost to BSP candidate Manoj Kumar at Sadulpur assembly seat.
NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma was defeated in Bundi by BJP candidate Ashok Dogra. A tainted and sacked minister of Gehlot government, Bharosi Lal Jatav was defeated by BJP candidate Rajkumari from Hindon.
In Gehlot's home district Jodhpur, BJP won nine out of ten assembly constituencies, with the outgoing chief minister the only winning candidate of the Congress.
Next: BJP coasts to emphatic victory in Madhya Pradesh
BJP coasts to emphatic victory in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: BJP on Sunday appeared set to post an emphatic victory in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, winning 23 of the 30 seats declared so far and leading in 131 in the 230-member House.
Poll results of Madhya Pradesh
Challenger Congress was way behind the ruling party, having secured just seven seats, while its candidates were leading in another 50 constituencies. Bahujan Samaj Party candidates are leading in five seats and 'Others' in six.
Also read - Highlights of Madhya Pradesh polls
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan won from Vidisha by 16,966 votes defeating Shashank Bhargava of Congress. He is also leading from Budhni, the seat held by him in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Congress accepted the people's mandate, saying it would continue to play the role of a responsible opposition.
"Congress will continue to play the role of a strong opposition," Leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh said in a statement.
Ajay also thanked Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the BJP's victory, saying Congress will introspect the cause for its rout.
