Rajasthan: 55.66% voting in Mandava till 3 pm (Lead, State Polls 2019)

A total of 55.66 per cent was reported in Mandava till 3 pm while Khinvsar registered 49.95 per cent of voting till the same time on Monday.

The Assembly by-polls on these two seats have been necessitated as the respected MLAs of these two seats were elected as MPs in Lok Sabha election.

While Narendra Kumar from BJP won as MP from Jhunjunu leaving the Mandava seat vacant, Hanuman Beniwal from RLP (the party in alliance with BJP) won Lok Sabha polls from Nagaur leaving the Khinvsar seat vacant.

Now, these assembly by-polls are a litmus test for Congress which had formed government ten months back in the state in December 2018. They shall give a report card to the party on October 24 when the results for these elections will be declared.

Interestingly, Congress after winning Assembly polls with a majority, had fallen flat in Lok Sabha elections in May 2019, just five months after Assembly elections, closing at zero while BJP made a clean sweep winning all 25 seats.

Meanwhile, these by-polls are crucial for Pradesh Congress Committee President Sachin Pilot, who a few days back had expressed his displeasure against his own government for sidelining the organisation and taking independent decision of organising civic unit elections using new hybrid model without discussing it with party, cabinet or workers.

Similarly, the elections are crucial for newly appointed BJP state chief Satish Poonia, who has recently assumed the charge on his new post.

Pilot, a few days back, had exuded confidence that Congress shall win both the seats and so is Poonia busy to prove his mettle on the two Jat-dominated seats.

As both these seats are from Jat community and hence Poonia's appointment as State BJP President is being termed as the smart strategy of social engineering by veteran politic who also avert that Congress might have to pay the cost for disturbing social engineering equations by disappointing a renowned Jat leader Rameshwar Dudi by disqualifying him for the post of Rajasthan Cricket Association, however, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot was elected as RCA President unanimously.

This aggrieved the Jats and there was heavy protest at RCA stadium where Hanuman Beniwal also extended his support to Dudi, he too being from Jat community.

Now, all eyes are set on the results if Jats from this belt will pardon Gehlot for ignoring Dudi or if they will avenge their insult by making BJP win the two seats.

( With inputs from IANS )