Airport demand in Kota gains momentum amid election season

The demand for the development of an airport in Kota is gaining momentum as election campaigning in Rajasthan intensifies. Both the Congress and the BJP are blaming each other for the lack of progress in this project. The issue has become a talking point, particularly in the Kota North constituency, where Shanti Dhariwal from the Congress and Prahlad Gunjal from the BJP are contesting against each other.

Currently, Kota has a small airport that only caters to VIP or special flights. The absence of regular flight services has been a longstanding issue, which has now become a prominent topic in election campaigns. This demand for a regular airport with commercial flights was also raised during the 2018 assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Kota attracts over two lakh students annually who come to prepare for engineering and medical entrance exams like JEE and NEET. Many of these students come from distant places and have to travel via New Delhi, Jaipur, or Udaipur due to the lack of a regular airport in Kota.


Students and parents expressed the need for an airport in Kota, stating that students from all over the country come here and the journey is often time-consuming.

However, many argue that the current train services do not meet the demand, making it difficult for tourists to visit Kota.

As the elections approach, both the Congress and the BJP are promising to fulfill the long-standing demand for an airport in Kota. However, it remains to be seen whether this project will see progress once the new government comes into power.

The elections for the 200-member assembly in Rajasthan will take place on November 25, and the results will be announced on December 3.

(Inputs from PTI)