Lok Sabha elections: It's battle royale in many parts of Rajasthan

Jaipur: Twenty out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan are voting on this Thursday, April 17. All pre-poll surveys are predicting a clean sweep for the ruling BJP and a total decimation of the Congress which was in power till December 2013. Analysts are predicting a reverse of 2009 Lok Sabha election results. In 2009, the Congress won 20 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP won just 4 seats.

This time, some argue that the Congress may not be able to win even 5 seats in the state. The prestige of many Congress bigwigs is at stake in the state. The remaining 5 seats in the state will be voting on April 24.

The newly appointed state Congress president Sachin Pilot is defending his Ajmer seat. He is contesting against Vasundhara Raje's cabinet minister Sanwar Lal Jat. Traditionally Ajmer has been the stronghold of the Congress party which has won 8 out of the total 14 contests here, but lately the voters have swung towards the BJP which won 5 out of the last 7 elections

Sachin Pilot broke that trend in 2009 by winning Ajmer after his family stronghold of Dausa became a reserved seat during delimitation. But in the December 2013 polls all of 8 Ajmer's assembly seats have gone to the BJP.

India's second largest Lok Sabha seat by size Barmer, is a battle of prestige with former BJP leader Jaswant Singh contesting as an independent against BJP's Col Sonaram Choudhary fielded just three days after joining the BJP from Congress. The Congress candidate is sitting MP Harish Choudhary.

Vasundhara Raje has put all her weight behind Col Sonaram, but interestingly Modi's rally failed to get a great response from the people of Barmer. Muslims in Barmer are with Jaswant Singh who has a sympathy factor working for him. The 78-year-old founder member of the BJP, who held key portfolios like Defence, Finance and Foreign Affairs is seeking vote one last time from his people. He is fighting his 10th election.

There is a lot of goodwill for him in Barmer-Jaisalmer after he was humiliated and denied ticket by the party. The entire Rajput clan and others are also backing him in his last election.

There are 4.26 crore eligible voters including 2.01 crore women. The voting will take place across 47,948 polling booths to decide the fate of 320 candidates including 27 women.

5 Eastern Rajasthan seats Alwar, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Bharatpur to go to polls on April 25.

Key constituencies:

In Jaipur rural, Olympics medal winning ace shooter turned politician Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore of the BJP is pitted against former Union minister CP Joshi of the Congress. Joshi has shifted his constituency this time. According to ground reports, he is on a weak wicket.

In Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, former Indian cricket team captain Mohammedd Azharuddin is contesting against Sukhbir Jaunpuria of the BJP, who is also the richest candidate in these elections from Rajasthan. He has declared assets worth a total of Rs 71.41 crore.

In Jhalawar, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's son and sitting MP Dushyant Singh is contesting against the Congress candidate and former minister Pramod Jain Bhaya. Since he is Vasundhara Raje's son, he has that natural advantage. Local analysts feel that it is a sure seat for the BJP.

In Dausa, two brothers are pitted against each other. Former Union minister Namo Narayan Meena of the Congress is contesting against his own brother Harish Meena of the BJP. Harish Meena is a former Rajasthan Director General of Police, who took voluntary retirement to join politics and contest from Dausa. This seat is witnessing a triangular contest. Kirori Lal Meena of the NPP is also in the fray.

Veteran Congress leader and Union minister Girija Vyas is seeking one term from Udaipur. But, she is facing a tough fight this time. Since it is closer to Gujarat border, there is a big Narendra Modi wave.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh is also fighting a tough election from Alwar, which is closer to Delhi.

Fifteen seats including Jaipur, Ajmer, Banswara, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Chittorgarh, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Kota, Karauli-Dholpur, Alwar and Bharatpur are witnessing a direct contest.

Barmer, Dausa, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Ganganangar, Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Jalore, Nagaur, Sikar and Jaipur-rural are witnessing a triangular or multi-cornered contest with rebel/BSP/Rajasthan Loktantrik Party/Zamindara Party, AAP/Independents are also in the fray.