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Baba Balaknath, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate contesting from Alwar's Tijara assembly constituency, has urged voters to participate in large numbers in the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly polls on November 25. Drawing an analogy to an India-Pakistan cricket match, Balaknath emphasised the significance of achieving a high voter turnout.
While campaigning in Bhiwadi, Balaknath was recorded stating, "This is like an India-Pakistan match this time. It is not just a fight for victory, it is also a fight for voting percentage." The video of his statement has since gone viral. While urging voters to come out in large numbers,he added that it was important to counteract the unity of certain groups and ensure the protection of "Sanatan Dharma" (ancient Hindu principles).
"Those 'kabilas' (tribes) have united and we have to defeat their plans with a voting percentage so that in future they never dare to unite and conspire to defeat our 'Sanatan Dharma'," he said, without giving any further information on the "kabilas".
When asked about his comment, Balaknath clarified to PTI that he intended to motivate people to maximise voter turnout in the elections. He highlighted the need for a substantial voting percentage among Hindu voters, especially when the minority voters' turnout remains high.
The Rajasthan state Assembly elections for all 200 seats will be conducted on November 25. The counting of votes for Rajasthan as well as four other states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram - will take place on December 3.
BJP and Congress have dominated Rajasthan. The two parties have alternated governments since 1993 and Congress formed the majority in the 2018 state Assembly polls.
