[Rafique Mandelia (R) with Congress leader and likely choice as new Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot in a file photo.]
Jaipur: Rafique Mandelia, the Congress candidate from Churu Assembly seat in Rajasthan, was sure of his victory in the 2018 state elections. He had in fact made ample arrangements for a fitting celebrations. However, as the results were announced after counting of votes ended Tuesday, his name was missing from the winners' list.
According to the data released by the poll officers, Rafique Mandelia, senior Congress leader in Rajasthan who had also contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Churu, polled a gigantic 85,383 votes. However, his final tally fell short by a mere 1,850 votes to register a victory in the constituency.
Data released by the election commission further showed that Asghar Khan of BSP, Yunas Khan and Salim Gujar, both independents, together polled 3,609 - most certainly of the Muslim community votes. It means had they not been contested the election, and instead extended their support to Rafique Mandelia, the final result outcome could have been easily reversed.
But, as is the case with Muslim candidates most of the time, the indpendent candidates pawed the way for the victory of the BJP candidate Rajendra Rathore of BJP who got a total of 87,233 votes - just 1,850 votes more than Rafique Mandelia.
Something similar happened in Tijara assembly constituency of Rajasthan where Congress had fielded Aimamuddin Ahmed Khan. Tijara, situated 48 km to the northeast of Alwar, is the biggest industrial area of Rajasthan and part of the historical Mewat region. It is dominated by Meo Muslims. If voted tactically, it could easily win a Muslim candidate.
However, Aimamuddin Ahmed Khan lost the Tijara assembly seat to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) by a meager 4,457 votes. Aimamuddin Ahmed Khan polled a total of 55,011 votes. But, Fazal Hussain of Samajwadi Party (SP) bagging 22,189 votes played spoiler for him. The result was that he could not match the 59,468 votes polled by Sandeep Kumar of BSP.
Interestingly, Tijara assembly seat was won by Maman Singh in the 2013 Rajasthan Assembly Elections. Singh had got 69,278 votes in 2013. But, in 2018 elections, BJP candidate got 41,345 votes and came 3rd.
Elsewhere in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot comfortably defeated Yunus Khan of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) by more than 50,00 votes in Tonk assembly seat. Sachin Pilot polled a huge 109,040 votes while Yunus Khan, the only Muslim candidate fielded by the BJP in 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Polls, got 54,861 votes. In 2013, Ajit Singh of BJP had won Tonk vidhan sabha seat bagging 66,845 votes.
According to the final result announced by the Election Commission of India after counting of votes Tuesday Congress won a total of 101 seats in Rajasthan against 73 won by the ruling BJP. Others won 19 seats and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which refused an alliance with Congress before the elections, finished with just 06 seats.
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