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Congress set for a landslide victory in Rajasthan

The Congress is set for a landslide victory in Rajasthan, according to early reports trickling in from all over the state at 1400 hours, bagging seven seats and forging ahead in nearly 100.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing a poll debacle, according to the initial reports. The party opened its account in the state assembly with Bhanwar Lal Sharma from Jaipur's Hawa Mahal constituency retaining his seat. Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has won the Bali seat in Pali district.

The party is, however, maintaining a lead in eight seats. The Congress retained three and wrested as many seats from the BJP. The BJP conceded two other seats where polling was conducted by electronic machines.

In Pushkar, former minister Ramjan Khan of the BJP defeated Vishu Modi of the Congress by over 10,000 votes. The BJP wrested the seat from the Congress.

Overall, 106 of the 200 seats have been declared. The Congress is leading in 79, up 25 from last time; the BJP is leading in 20, down 17 from last time. Others and independents lead in seven, down two from the last time.

Congress winners Mahesh Joshi (Kishenpole-Jaipur), Takkiuddin Ahmed (Johari Bazar-Jaipur), former deputy minister Lalit Bhati (Ajmer East) wrested the seats from the ruling BJP while former deputy speaker Kishan Motwani (Ajmer West), former minister Govind Singh Gujjer (Nasirabad) and Nathu Ram (Kisangarh) have retained their respective seats.

Two members of the Shekhawat ministry Kali Charan Saraf (Johari Bazar) and Kishan Songra (Ajmer east) were beaten.

Former Union minister and Congress stalwart Nawal Kishore Sharma has established a comfortable lead of more than 6,000 votes in Jaipur rural constituency against Minister of State Ujala Arora (BJP) while the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly Parasram Maderna is forging ahead for his ninth term from Bhopalgarh constituency in Jodhpur district.

UNI

Assembly Election '98

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