Rajasthan Elections: Who Will Finally Win The Throne in Jaipur?

Rajasthan is scheduled to go to elections on 7 December. The single phase polling will see voting in all 200 seats.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is seeking her second term in the state.

Catch all stories related to Rajasthan elections here.

Will Rajasthan see a break in the 25-year trend of alternating between the BJP and the Congress governments every consecutive term, as the state goes to polls on 7 December?

With anti-incumbency, communal and caste disharmony, agrarian crisis and political infighting looming large over the Vasundhara Raje government, Rajasthan is the best bet for the Congress among the five states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram – that go into elections starting from mid November.

1. Raje’s ‘Betrayal of Rajputs’ Spells Win for Jaswant Singh Family

Manvendra Singh’s recent switch to the Congress marks the climax to a long-running cold war within the Rajasthan BJP. The marquee clash of Rajasthan politics – with Vasundhara Raje on one side and the Jaswant Singh family on the other – seems more like a medieval, feudal battle than a modern political tussle.

Read the full article here.

2. A Dent in Raj, MP & Chhattisgarh Polls Can Sink BJP’s Ship in 2019

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been BJP strongholds for years. While the BJP got an unprecedented mandate in the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, we will get to know the mood of the people in these states on 11 December.

But all surveys indicate that it is going to be an uphill task for the BJP to retain its absolute dominance in the three states. What impact will it have on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections?

Watch the full video here.

3. Why Congress’s Crowdfunding Initiative in Rajasthan Looks Doomed

Besides the lack of merit in its present appeal, the credibility of its challenge in Rajasthan, and Rahul Gandhi’s persistent and punchy attacks against crony capitalism, question marks linger around the Congress’s motives behind seeking crowdfunding and its long-term commitment to resetting its funding portfolio.

Read the full analysis here.

4. Rajasthan Assembly Polls: Will Defiant Raje Be Able to Hold Fort?

Split wide open – this explains the state of internal politics in the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Congress in Rajasthan. Whosoever is able to manage this divide better has brighter chances of emerging victorious on 11 December 2018.

Read the full article here.

The ABP News C-Voter opinion poll predicts a massive win for the Congress in the Rajasthan Assembly election, with the party getting 142 of the 200 seats, while the BJP is reduced to just 56 seats. The 'Others', meanwhile, are predicted to get two seats.

In terms of the vote share, the Congress has been predicted to get 50 percent of the votes, while the BJP 34 percent. The 'Others' are expected to garner 16 percent of the vote share.

The C-fore opinion polls have given the Congress 124-138 seats in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, with its state president Sachin Pilot leading Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje as the most preferred candidate for the top post.

The ABP-CSDS survey has also given a majority to Congress in Rajasthan.

BJP leader and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, in an interview to Times Now on 9 November, dismissed that there’s any anti-incumbency on the field, expressing confidence that they are going to win the election.

Raje also attacked the Opposition while saying that the BJP has a democratic system, wherein “leaders rise from the grassroots”.

Read the full story here.

The BJP's Rajasthan unit has claimed that the party-led government in the state generated employment for 44 lakh people and the number was much more than what was promised.

The party's state unit tweeted on Friday,"The BJP had promised to generate employment for 15 lakh people, though more than 44 lakh people were given jobs”.

The Congress' state unit chief Sachin Pilot said that the BJP's claim was "baseless and irresponsible".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan launched 'Mera Parivar-BJP Parivar' campaign on Saturday, 10 November, to reach out to masses ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra said during the campaign, party workers will meet residents of each constituency and put BJP flags and stickers on their houses.

The party has also released a special poster for the mass contact programme.

Bohra said since 2 November, the BJP has been conducting booth-level programmes, under which the party's public representatives inform people about policies of both central and state governments.

At least 40 sitting BJP legislators, including six ministers, may be dropped by the party for the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan. While the party is slated to release its first list of candidates on Sunday, 11 November, is is believed that fresh faces may be featured in the next lists, DNA reported.

According to the newspaper, the decision to drop some of the legislators took place in a meeting of the State Core Committee held in Delhi on Saturday, 10 November, under the chairmanship of state election in-charge and Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

The BJP has released its first list of 131 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan.

As per the list, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will be contesting from the Jhalrapatan constituency, from where she has been a three-time MLA.

A Rajasthan minister, who was dropped by the BJP in its first list of candidates for the assembly election released on Sunday, 11 November, resigned from his post and the party on Monday.

Surendra Goyal, the public health engineering and ground water minister who represents the Jaitaran constituency, tendered separate resignations to CM Vasundhara Raje and the party's state president, Madan Lal Saini.

The five-time MLA has not sighted any reason for the resignation. In its first list of 131 candidates released on Sunday night, the BJP has fielded a new face, Avinash Gehlot, from Jaitaran.

Goyal may now contest the Jaitaran seat in Pali district as an independent, reported Hindustan Times.

Along with Goyal, Tribal Affairs Minister Nandlal Meena could not make it to the first list. However, the party has fielded Meena’s son from his constituency.

BJP’s MP from Rajasthan's Dausa, Harish Meena, joined the Congress party on Wednesday, 14 November, in the presence of party leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

The BJP on Wednesday released its second list of 31 candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Rajasthan's former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress president Sachin Pilot on Wednesday, 14 November, declared that they both will contest the 7 December assembly election, firing up the race for the chief minister's post in the state where the party is seeking to wrest power from the BJP.

Sources said the leadership contest in Rajasthan Congress will now intensify with both main contenders throwing their hat in the ring.

Gehlot and Pilot, however, dismissed suggestions that there was any infighting among the state leaders and asserted that they will unitedly take on the BJP.

The two leaders ended the speculation over whether they will contest the polls at a joint press conference in New Delhi at the Congress headquarters, where the party announced the joining of BJP MP Harish Chandra Meena from Dausa in Rajasthan.

While Gehlot is a sitting MLA from Sardarpura in Jodhpur district, Pilot has never contested the state assembly polls.

The Congress late on Thursday, 15 November, released its first list of 152 candidates for the 7 December Rajasthan Assembly elections, fielding former chief minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura and state party president Sachin Pilot from Tonk seat.

Gehlot and Pilot had on Wednesday made their intentions clear that they would contest the Assembly polls along with senior state leaders.

Former National Commission for Women chief Girija Vyas will contest from Udaipur, while senior party leader CP Joshi will be party nominee from the Nathdwara assembly seat.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Rameshwar Lal Dudi, is the Congress's candidate from the Nokha assembly seat.

AICC Secretary Harish Chaudhary will contest the polls from the Baytoo seat.

The party's central election committee General Secretary Mukul Wasnik released the list after hectic deliberations with senior state leaders and the party leadership.

Sources said the list was reportedly delayed over differences on distribution of party tickets.

The notification for the polls was issued on Monday.

Both the BJP leaders who had joined the Congress on Wednesday found their names in the first list of 152 candidates released by the grand old party late on Thursday.

While former BJP MP Harish Meena has been fielded from Deoli Uniara, former BJP MLA Habibur Rahman will be contesting for the Congress from Nagaur, which is where he won for the BJP in the last election.

Rahman was reportedly miffed over the denial of ticket by the BJP, after which he shifted to the Congress.

Congress workers on Thursday night protested over the first list of candidates released by the party for the Rajasthan Assembly elections. The workers who had gathered outside Rahul Gandhi’s residence were detained, reported ANI.

“Instead of parachute candidates, [we] request him (Rahul Gandhi) to give tickets to those who gave their blood to and toiled for the Congress.”

Disappointed over being denied a ticket, former Mayor of Jaipur Jyoti Khandelwal resigned from the Congress party, reported ANI.

PM Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign in Rajasthan ahead of the 7 December Legislative Assembly elections.

The Congress on Saturday, 17 November released the second list of 32 candidates for Rajasthan Assembly elections.

The BJP, too, released its third list of eight candidates.

The Congress’ Manvendra Singh will contest against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan in the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections.

The Congress on Sunday, 18 November, released its third list of 18 candidates for the upcoming polls. Out of 18 seats, Loktantrik Janata Dal and Rashtriya Lok Dal will contest on 2 seats each and NCP will contest on one seat.

(ANI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, 18 November, released the fourth list of 24 candidates for the upcoming polls, news agency ANI reported.

Protesting denial of ticket by BJP, MLA Gyandev Ahuja has resigned from his primary membership of the the party. “I will contest as an independent on issues like Ram Janamabhoomi, cow protection and Hindutva,” Ahuja told ANI.

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on Monday, 19 November filed his nomination from Sardarpura seat in the Jodhpur.

The leader took the moment to Twitter and posted a video, showing him filing the nomination paper.

Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot on Monday filed his nomination from Tonk constituency.

After filing his nomination, Pilot in a tweet wrote: “ Tonk is out on streets to show that it stands and endorses the change that is coming to Rajasthan with Congress Party's vision!”

The BJP on Monday, in its final list for the Rajasthan Assembly polls, changed its candidate from Tonk and fielded PWD Minister Yunus Khan against Congress state unit chief Sachin Pilot.

Khan replaced Ajit Singh on the final day of filing of nomination for the 7 December elections. He is also the only Muslim candidate fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party while Congress has 15 Muslim candidates.

BJP Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna on Friday had called Pilot a "fugitive" for leaving his Ajmer parliamentary seat and choosing Tonk to contest his first assembly poll.

Khanna said those who leave their home are called "fugitives. Now people of Rajasthan will call Sachin Pilot a fugitive".

Messaging platform WhatsApp on Monday, 19 November, held a training session for community leaders in partnership with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Jaipur, as it looks to tackle the menace of fake news ahead of elections in Rajasthan.

The effort is part of WhatsApp and DEF's joint initiative – announced in August – to undertake workshops in over 10 states to educate subscribers on using the messaging platform responsibly and help curb the "epidemic of misinformation" in the country, WhatsApp said in a statement.

Congress has released a list of star campaigners for the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Times Now reported. The names of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh, Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Raj Babbar have been included in the list along with 40 other leaders.

The ruling BJP and the Congress in Rajasthan have fielded 11 turncoats for the 7 December Assembly polls, hoping that the "parachute" candidates will shine for them in the elections.

Voices of dissent are being heard from both parties and sidelined party leaders are quick to cross over to get a chance to contest.

The ruling BJP alone has fielded seven defectors, including six from the Congress and one from the BSP.

BJP nominees Mahesh Pratap Singh from Nathdawara, Ram Kishor Saini from Bandikui, Mamta Sharma from Pipalda, Kalpna Singh from Ladpura, Rajendra Bhamu from Jhunjhunu and Ashok Sharma from Rajkhera are the leaders who crossed over to the saffron brigade from the Congress.

Another defector from the BSP, Abhinesh Mehrishi, replaced sitting BJP minister Rajkumar Rinwa from Ratangarh seat.   Not to be left behind, the Congress has given tickets to at least four turncoats to test electoral waters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Sunday, 25 November, reported Moneycontrol quoting party officials.

"Preparations for the PM's proposed rally on November 25 are in full swing. People from all constituencies will participate in the meeting," Sanjay Singh, BJP district president, according to PTI.

BJP Chief Amit Shah held a roadshow in Rajasthan’s Bikaner on Wednesday, 21 November.

In Rajasthan’s Mancha village, the women haven't been given access to cooking gas or proper toilets. Get to know about the issues these women face in The Quint's ground report.

BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja, who had filed his nomination as an independent after being denied a ticket by the party, has taken back his nomination. Ahuja has now been appointed the BJP's state vice-president, reported ANI.

11 rebel leaders of Rajasthan BJP were expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years, for contesting against the official party candidates in the upcoming elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address at least 10 public meetings from 25 November to 4 December in poll-bound Rajasthan, a BJP leader said Thursday.

The prime minister is likely to hold rallies in Alwar, Bhilwara, Beneshwar Dham on 25 November, he said.

Modi is also expected to hold a public meeting in Kota on 26 November.

The prime minister may go to Nagaur and Bharatpur on 28 November and Jodhpur on 3 December, the BJP leader said, adding that three public meetings are also likely to organised in Hanumangarh, Sikar and Jaipur on 4 December.

The Election Commission has sent a notice to Congress leader CP Joshi for his controversial comments that "only Brahmins know enough to talk about Hinduism". He has been told to reply by 11 pm on Sunday.

In a video that broke out recently, "Uma Bharti is a Lodhi, and she talks about Hinduism, Modi ji talks about Hinduism. It's only Brahmins who don't talk about it. In 50 years they have lost their mind. The country is being misled... Religion and governance are two different things. Everyone has the right to practice their religion".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi rebuked Mr Joshi and told him to apologise for his controversial comment, which the Rajasthan leader duly did in a tweet.

Source: NDTV

While addressing a rally in Alwar, PM Modi raked up the issue of Ayodhya and alleged that the Congress wanted the case to keep dragging in the courts till 2019 elections. He also alleged that whenever any SC judge gets closer to resolving the issue, the Cogree lawyers get an impeachment motion against him.

“When the Ayodhya case was obeing heard in the SCupreme court, Congress’ leaders and Rajya Sabha MPs said that the case should not be heard till 2019, since the country is going to polls that year. Is it correct to drag the judiciary in politics like this? ” he said.

“Whenever any judge of the Supreme Cort gets closer to delivering justice in the Ayodhya case - A case that is so serious and sentimental - Congress’ lawmakers threaten them with impeachment motions,” he said.

The Congress on Sunday, 25 November, expelled its 28 leaders in Rajasthan, including nine former MLAs and an ex-Union minister, for filing nominations against the party's official candidates.

According to a party spokesperson, the action was initiated on the direction of state Congress chief Sachin Pilot.

The leaders against whom the action were taken include former Union minister Mahadev Singh khandela, ex-legislators Sanyam Lodha, Nathu Ram Sinodiya, Naval Kishore Meena, Khushveer Singh, Sohan Nayak, C S Baid, Ramesh Chand Khandelwal and Ramesh Khinchi.

(Source: PTI)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday offered prayers at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah and at the Brahma Temple on the banks of Brahma Sarovar in Pushkar.

Pratap Puri Maharaj, Mahant of Taratara Math in Barmer district, is the BJP’s candidate. He will take on former Congress MLA Saleh Mohammed, son of influential Muslim religious leader Ghazi Fakir.

Both Rahul Gandhi and Yogi Adityanath will campaign for their respective candidates.

Ahead of the Assembly polls in the state on 7 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, 26 November addressed a BJP rally in Kota.

The Prime Minister said that his government has kept corruption in check. He also said that Rs 90,000 crore that earlier went into the pockets of the corrupt has been saved.

PM Modi’s address comes after Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressed a Congress rally in Pokhran earlier in the day.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses a rally in Jodhpur ahead of the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly polls.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, on Tuesday, 27 November, released the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming polls on 7 December.

The manifesto focused on education, farmers and other developments in the state. The CM also said that the BJP is looking to subsidise electricity and provide insurance to farmers.

Courtiers around the "naamdar" believe Naxals and Maoists are revolutionaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on 28 November in a sharp attack against Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Modi, who often refers to Gandhi as "naamdar" (dynast), was addressing a rally in Bharatpur ahead of the polls in Rajasthan on 7 December.

"Raag darbari of the naamdar say Naxals and Maoists are revolutionaries," he told the gathering. Continuing his attack against the opposition party, he said the "game of scams" had stopped in the four years that his government was in power.

"Your dreams are my dreams," he told the gathering.

Ashok Gehlot, senior Congress leader said that there is no fight with Sachin Pilot ahead of the elections.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, Gehlot said “I don’t agree. I have been doing politics for a long time, and there are no issues for us to fight over. When the high command has to decide everything after the elections, there is no issue for any fight with Sachin Pilot.”

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused the Congress Thursday, 29 November, of copying its manifesto for the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

While talking to reporters, the minister said most of the public welfare issues in the Congress's manifesto were already raised by the BJP, PTI reported.

BJP President Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Nagaur, attacked Rahul gandhi over financial scams by Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya and said that the loans lent tothem were given during his tenure.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) asks why did Nirav Modi and Mallya run away? These loans were lent during your tenure. They didn’t run away during Congress government as they had a partnership. But when Modi government came, they were afraid of being put behind bars,” he said.

This is how the BJP candidate Yoonus Khan is pitching himself in his electoral fight against Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot for Tonk seat in the state assembly polls. Khan, Transport and PWD Minister in the Vasundhara Raje government, has been fielded by the BJP in the Muslim-dominated Tonk assembly constituency, replacing the party's sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta after the Congress gave a ticket to Pilot in Tonk.

Asked if Tonk having a large number of Muslims was one of the reasons behind his candidature, the BJP leader said the election here will be on the basis of performance and agenda.

"The election will be on who can serve Tonk better. I have given my vision... As a minister I connected Sawai Madhopur road to a two-lane road. I have given a bypass.”, he said.

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 1 December had an interactive session with business community and professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

He attacked PM Modi, stating that the prime minister thinks he knows better than the Army on what needs to be done in army’s area.

“Mr Narendra Modi actually reached into Army's domain & shaped their surgical strike, he turned their surgical strike into a political asset when it actually was a military decision,” the Congress President said.

“PM is convinced he knows better than Army what needs to be done in army's area, better than Foreign Ministry on what needs to be done in foreign ministry, better than Agriculture Ministry on what needs to be done in agriculture because he has a sense that all knowledge comes from his brain,” he further commented.

Rahul Gandhi also said that the prime minister didn’t understand the “foundation of Hinduism.”

"What is the essence of Hinduism? What does the Gita say? That knowledge is with everybody, knowledge is all around you... Our PM says he is a Hindu but he doesn't understand foundation of Hinduism. What kind of a Hindu is he,” he questioned.

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh, Congress President Rahul Gandhi rakes up the issue of alleged corruption in Rafale deal and said, “In Rafale deal, Rs 30,000 crore were stolen from the Air Force and put in Anil Ambani’s pocket. For the first time in history, (former) France’s President has called an Indian prime minister a thief.”

Gandhi was seemingly referring to former French President Francois Hollande's remarks on Rafale.

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday, 1 December, said the BJP governments at the Centre and Rajasthan could not deliver the promises made to the people and it was a time for change.

According to Chidambaram, five years ago, when the state's people voted in the last Assembly election, they were in the spell of Narendra Modi and his catchy slogans and attractive promises.

Attributing the coming of Vasundhara Raje to power with the rise of Modi, the senior Congress leader said: "Neither (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi nor (Chief Minister) Vasundhara Raje delivered on the promises made to the people."

The government could not fulfil the promise of double-digit economic growth. It could not create jobs, increase savings of the people, boost capital investment and increase exports, Chidambaram said at a press conference in Jaipur.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s comment on Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hit back at the Congress president and said, “Rahul Gandhi said PM doesn't know the meaning of being a Hindu. He said that because he and the Congress are confused about his religion and caste. For years, party presented him as secular leader but near polls when they realised that Hindus are in majority, they created this image.”

Swaraj also said Bhagwan na kare ki wo din kabhi aaye ki R Gandhi se hame Hindu hone ka matlab janna pade

BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday, 1 December hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Modi government turned the surgical strikes into a political asset and said that it was an "insult to martyrs" of Uri.

"You people are happy that Modiji avenged the deaths of our soldiers of Uri but this Rahul Baba was just telling people that he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) did the surgical strikes to win Uttar Pradesh polls. Shame on you," he said addressing an election rally here.

Terming Rahul Gandhi's remarks as an "insult to the martyrs", he said that the UPA government led by the Congress did not have the guts to avenge the killings of soldiers.

BJP files complaint with Election Commission against Congress' Raj Babbar for violating model code of conduct, for allegedly making personal comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, reported ANI.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on 4 December targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his promise of providing employment to 2 crore youths during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing an election rally, he sought to know why four youths committed suicide in Alwar recently.

"Narendra Modi in his elections speeches in 2014 had said he would give jobs to 2 crore youths. if you gave employment, why did four youths commit suicide in Alwar?" Gandhi said at a rally in Alwar district's Malakhera town.

Rejecting poll predictions about the BJP losing in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's son and Jhalawar MP Dushyant Singh said her government's development work will "talk" and help the party cross the "hurdle” of 100 Assembly seats to retain power in the state.

Singh said the BJP, with its win in Rajasthan, will send out a strong message to all psephologists and "so-called media houses" showing that the party is winning not only the state polls, but will also emerge victorious in the national elections.

"There has been development work happening not only in one district, but in all parts of Rajasthan," he told PTI in an interview.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses a rally in Udaipur, Rajasthan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Uadipur on Monday, 3 December, days before the polls on 7 December.

Addressing a rally in Jaipur, BJP President Amit Shah said that he was confident that the BJP would form the new government in the state, with its candidate, Vasundhara Raje as Chief Minister, ANI reported.

“People in the state have rejected caste and dynasty politics of Congress,” he said.

Speaking on the arrest of Christian Michel, the alleged Augusta Scam middleman, Shah asked: “...what is wrong if we nabbed the middleman? Does the opposition want to save him?” Shah’s jibe comes in light of the reports that several Congress leaders were allegedly named in the scam.

BJP Chief Amit Shah held a roadshow from Kesarganj to Naya Bazar in Ajmer on Wednesday, 5 December, which marked the final day of campaigning for the upcoming Rajasthan polls.

Addressing a rally at Rajasthan’s Dausa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Gandhi family, saying that while Mahatma Gandhi had encouraged “self-independence” by producing Khadi, the “fake Gandhi family” had erased the very existence of Khadi from the country, ANI reported.

The Khadi jacket, is now known as the ‘Modi jacket’, something that the Congress has great aversion to, he said.

Earlier, Modi had greeted the people in Dausar, by playing the traditional Rajasthani drum.

Campaigning for the upcoming Rajasthan polls concluded for all parties around 5pm on Wednesday, 5 December. The voting for the same will take place on Friday, 7 December.

The Punjab government Wednesday, December, announced a paid holiday on 7 December for people eligible to cast votes in the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

According to an official spokesperson, the decision was taken to enable employees working in shops and commercial establishments situated in Punjab to participate in the polls.

(PTI)