A representative image of voting.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jaipur: In Rajasthan’s political landscape, which has a tendency to change the incumbent government after every election since the last 25 years, the voting percentage has had an impact on the election outcome.
Analysing the voting percentage from 1998 elections till 2018 elections, there has been a notable trend that whenever the voting percentage has fallen, Congress has gained. And if the voting percentage has gone up, it has been favourable for BJP.
In 1998, the voting percentage was 63.39 per cent, Congress won 153 seats with a vote share of 45 per cent, while BJP managed 33 seats with a vote share of 33.2 per cent.
Five years later in 2003, the voter turnout was 67.18 per cent, an increase of 3.79 per cent. BJP won with 120 seats and a vote share of 39.2 per cent, while Congress could manage 56 seats with a vote share of 35.6 per cent.
In 2008, the voting percentage was 66.5 per cent. Congress won with 96 seats and vote share of 36.8 per cent and BJP could win 78 seats with 34.3 per cent vote share.
In 2013, the voting percentage was high at 75.76 per cent. BJP won magnificently with 163 seats and vote share of 46 per cent, while Congress was limited to just 21 seats but had a vote share of 33.7 per cent.
In 2018, the voting percentage was 74.72 per cent, a little less than 2013. As has been the trend, Congress won 99 seats with a vote share of 39.8 per cent and BJP won 73 seats with 39.3 per cent.
Poll analysts say whenever the voting percentage is high, it means people have come out in large numbers to vote and may be voting for a change as they were not happy with the incumbent government. And the opposite is true when voting percentage dips.
This year, the approximate voting percentage has been 69.17 per cent, a dip of at least 5.55 per cent from 2018’s 74.72. It also may be noted both the parties have maintained a vote share of above 33 per cent in the past 25 years.