Jaipur (Rajasthan): After the results of the 18th Lok Sabha elections were declared yesterday, Rajasthan's former chief minister Ashok Gehlot spoke about the defeat of his son, Vaibhav Gehlot from the Jalore constituency in the state and claimed that the seat was a tough one to win.
Speaking with ANI, Ashok Gehlot said, "That was a tough seat. It is close to the border of Gujarat. The language that is spoken there can be understood by the Gujaratis. We have not won that seat for the last 20 years. Still, given the situation in the country, the challenges in front of us, the dictatorship that is going on in India, and the uncertainty over the conduct of elections next time, in such conditions, the elections happened."
Citing that the election campaigns went well, he added further, "The party has supported us, so it is our responsibility to stand strong in the field, whether we win or lose. We knew from the beginning that the seat is very difficult... Understanding the situation of the country, state and Congress, Vaibhav Gehlot decided to contest from there... The election campaign went very well. Our message has reached the public."
Asserting that there are wins and losses in elections, Gehlot said, "If you have the spirit of service in your heart, then what is defeat and what is victory?"
Notably, in Rajasthan, the BJP won 14 out of 25 seats while the Congress managed to secure eight seats. The CPI (M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Bharat Adivasi Party managed to clinch one seat each. The BJP, which secured the majority in Rajasthan, getting 24 seats in the 2019 elections, has come down to 14.
Congress posed a great comeback from getting zero in 2019 to getting 8 seats in the 2024 elections.
In the Jalore constituency, BJP's Lumbaram defeated Congress' Vaibhav Gehlot by a margin of 2,01,543 votes. Lumbaram secured 7,96,783 votes while Vaibhav Gehlot secured 5,95,240 votes.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal won the Bikaner seat by a margin of 55,711 votes. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav won from Alwar by a margin of 48,282 votes.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat bagged the Jodhpur seat by 1,15,677 votes. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla won from Kota by 41,974 votes. Congress candidate Murari Lal Meena won from Dausa by 2,37,340 votes, Brijendra Singh Ola--Jhunjhunu by 18,235, Harish Chandra Meena--Tonk Sawai Madhopur by 64,949 and Ummeda Ram Beniwal--Barmer by 1,18,176 votes.
Voting for Rajasthan's 25 seats was concluded in the first and second phases on April 19 and 26 respectively.
(ANI)