Campaigning for Rajasthan Bypolls: Both BJP and Congress are busy in an intense campaign for seven assembly seats in Rajasthan. The contest has become interesting on four seats - Chaurasi, Khinvsar, Jhunjhunu, and Ramgarh, where a change in the traditional equations is being seen this time. In the Jat-dominated seat Khinvsar, the contest is between BJP's Ratan Chaudhary, Congress' Revant Ram Danga, and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party chief Hanuman Beniwal's wife Kanika Beniwal.

Tough fight on 84 seats

Both the BJP and Congress are trying to weaken the influence of the Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) in the Chaurasi seat. The party has gained a lead over both the national parties in the recent assembly and Lok Sabha elections. According to BJP leader, RSS workers are campaigning door-to-door to woo voters. BJP has fielded Kari Lal while Congress and BAP have fielded Mahesh Roat and Anil Katara respectively on this seat.

Triangular contest in Jhunjhunu

There is a triangular contest in Jhunjhunu in this by-election. BJP has given a ticket to its rebel Rajendra Bhambu while Congress has fielded Amit Ola, son of MP Brijendra Ola. Former minister Rajendra Singh Gudha and Azad Samaj Party leader Amin Maniyar are challenging the Congress. Gudha was a minister in the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

Political analysts said that Congress was believed to be getting sympathy votes in Ramgarh after the death of its MLA Zubair Khan, but BJP's Sukhwant Singh can give him a tough fight due to his aggressive campaigning and better image among the people. Congress has fielded Khan's son Aryan from this seat.

Azad Samaj Party is also in the fray.

Both the parties are also focusing on Dalit voters. In the last assembly elections, when Singh contested as an Azad Samaj Party candidate, he got a large number of votes from the Dalit community. The three other seats where by-elections will be held are Dausa, Deoli-Uniyara, and Salumber. Of these seven seats, four were previously held by the Congress, while the BJP, Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) had one seat each.

Current status of the assembly

Elections are being held in Salumbhar due to the death of BJP MLA Amritlal Meena. The remaining five seats fell vacant as the MLAs from here were elected to Parliament in the Lok Sabha elections. Currently, the BJP has 114 MLAs, Congress 65, BAP three, BSP two, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) one, and eight independent MLAs in the 200-seat state assembly.