### Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to Woo Voters Ahead of Upcoming By-elections
Gopendra Nath Bhatt
Jaipur – After his six-day foreign visit to Germany and the UK to attract investors for the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024, scheduled from December 9 to 11, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma returned to India on Sunday. His previous travels included visits to South Korea and Japan. Upon his return, he received a grand welcome at Jaipur Airport and the BJP state headquarters, led by BJP state president Madan Rathore.
Now, for the next few days, Chief Minister Sharma's primary focus will be on the upcoming by-elections for seven vacant assembly seats in Jhunjhunu, Ramgarh, Devli-Uniyara, Khimsar, Dausa, Salumber, and Chaurasi. Except for the Chaurasi seat in Dungarpur district, the BJP has already announced candidates for the other six seats. During his foreign trip, the Election Commission announced by-elections for 48 assembly seats across various states, along with by-elections for two Lok Sabha seats. The BJP's central election commission meeting also took place while Sharma was abroad, following which the candidate list was released. However, before leaving, Sharma had finalized the panel of BJP candidates in the state core committee.
Upon returning, Chief Minister Sharma echoed the sentiments of BJP state president Madan Rathore, asserting that the party has fielded strong candidates for the six seats and expects to win by a large margin. He criticized Congress for its claims during the Haryana elections regarding the Yamuna Agreement between Rajasthan and Haryana, stating that those aspirations would remain unfulfilled. He mentioned that efforts to address Rajasthan's water crisis, such as the ambitious Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), are progressing and will soon be inaugurated.
Sharma emphasized the commitments made in the party's manifesto, stating that every promise made to the people of Rajasthan would be fulfilled, projecting a vision of significant progress for the state. He highlighted the government’s achievements in the power sector, with MOUs worth ₹2.24 lakh crores, and reiterated the promise of providing daytime electricity to farmers by 2027. He also mentioned the approval of 90,000 jobs in a year, marking a historic achievement.
As the by-elections approach, scheduled for November 13 with results on November 23, the BJP's credibility is at stake in these seven seats. Meanwhile, the Congress party and the RLP (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party) are under pressure to maintain their foothold in these constituencies.
This will be the first significant test for Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and BJP state president Madan Rathore after the Lok Sabha elections, while Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra and opposition leader Tika Ram Julie face challenges in retaining their respective seats. The stakes are high, especially for prominent leaders associated with these regions, including Dr. Kirori Lal Meena and Murari Lal Meena.
Both the Congress and BJP view these by-elections as a matter of prestige, especially for leaders overseeing these constituencies. The BJP aims to leverage its performance in the past 10 months under Sharma's leadership and the central government’s achievements, while Congress aims to highlight the government’s shortcomings during the same period.
Madan Rathore claimed that the BJP would appeal to voters based on the welfare work done by both the state and central governments over the last 10 months and 10 years, respectively. In contrast, Congress has adopted an aggressive stance, criticizing the state government’s failures, with Dotasra stating that the BJP government has not fulfilled its promises.
As Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma returns from his foreign trip, he now sets his sights on winning the hearts of voters in the assembly constituencies facing by-elections.
It remains to be seen whether the electorate in Rajasthan will continue to support the ruling party or revert to the trends observed in the previous Lok Sabha elections.
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