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Record turnout leaves parties wondering

By Sunny Sebastian

JAIPUR DEC. 2. The ruling Congress party in Rajasthan gathered its wits the day after the polling, which brought an unprecedented 67.02 per cent of 3.39 crore voters to the polling booths, to say that despite the doubts cast by the exit polls, the party would gain a majority to form the Government in the State.

The Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, who did not meet the media persons today except for a session with the photo journalists who wanted to catch the mood, kept in touch with the party candidates across the State trying to personally verify their individual prospects and the party's chances. The sources indicated that the situation was "comfortable'' for the party.

The State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the party's Chief Ministerial candidate, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, reached the State Capital from her constituency, Jhalrapatan in Jhalawar district. She is reportedly in touch with the Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, whose party Indian National Lok Dal is hopeful of winning a few seats this time in Rajasthan.

Apparently pepped up by the positive indications from the exit polls, and hopeful of deriving benefit from the high percentage of polling, Ms.Scindia held a long meeting with the State BJP's general secretary (organization) Prakash Chandra and the vice president, Onkar Singh Lakhawat at her Vaishali Nagar residence here this afternoon.

The Congress, on its part, is not giving out its strategy while keeping the public posture that the party would be winning a majority. The party's political analysts, who individually place the Congress tally anywhere between 105 to 115 in the 200-member Assembly, are emphatic in denying the exit poll findings.

However, the polling percentage, revised from 63 per cent to 67.02 per cent this afternoon, has left everyone wondering about the outcome. The polling in the State in 1998 Assembly election, at 63.49 per cent had given the then Opposition Congress a three-fourths majority.

As such Rajasthan is a low polling State and the percentage of votes cast had crossed 60 per cent for the first time in its electoral history in 1993 at 60.62. This time around the polling in individual constituencies has gone up to an unprecedented 80.06 per cent in Karanpur in Sriganganagar district and 79.81 per cent in the neighbouring Hanumangarh district's Sangaria.

The Adivasi dominated districts of Dungarpur, Banswara and Udaipur which generally show a tendency for low polling too have recorded good polling ranging from 59.94 per cent in Dungarpur to 75.40 per cent in Banswara's Ghatol seat.

While the presence of a good number of rebels and Independents explain the better mobilization of the voters in many constituencies, the first time use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) too seemingly enthused the voters, specially in the rural areas to come out and vote in large numbers.

The excellent voter response could be also attributed to the campaigns by the Election Commission, individual newspapers in the State and the Election Watch group and similar other groups.

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