Rajasthan CM Gehlot reaches Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Chief Minister arrived at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.

The Election Commission of India on Monday announced the dates for the assembly polls in five states including Rajasthan.

In a post on X the incumbent Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot welcomed the election announcement and made an appeal to the people to vote the Congress to power again. "With your blessing we served you for 5 years, with your support we did all that was promised. We launched historic programs for helping people. With all honesty we have tried to bring a smile to every person on the state so that the state can progress at four times the speed. Now our mission is RajasthanMission2030 to make Rajasthan number 1. We have worked with our hearts, please bless us again" Gehlot said in a post on X.

Gehlot coined the election slogan "Kaam Kiya hai Dil Se, Congress Phir Se" in his post.

Elections will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 for all five states.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar made the announcement of poll dates at a press conference in New Delhi. The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates in these states.

The elections to five states are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year. Congress and BJP are the key players in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In the 2018 elections, the Congress party secured 100 seats, in Rajasthan which was short of majority by one seat (as 101 seats are required to form the government). Later, it formed the government with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP had secured 73 seats, much fewer than those in the previous election in which it had won a majority of 163 seats.