Leaders close to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on the target of central agencies.
NEW DELHI: The politics in Rajasthan Congress seems to be heating up once again. After Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerged as one of the probable candidates for the post of Congress chief, legislators loyal to former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot are making statements, challenging the high command. At the same time, central agencies have started conducting raids at the premises of Gehlot’s supporters in what is viewed as a bid to tarnish CM’s image. This is exactly what happened over two years ago when the bid to topple the government in Rajasthan failed. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not found anything after the raids then. Gehlot had warned the Centre then that it could achieve nothing out of such raids. The state is at loggerheads with the Centre over several issues like water, GST, alleged discriminatory behaviour, etc.
The Gehlot government took several decisions that are dominating the public discourse nationwide. Old pension scheme, free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh under Sanjeevani Health scheme, loan waiver for farmers and Urban employment guarantee scheme on the lines of MGNREGA. Non-BJP governments in the states are also announcing schemes like this. Congress is showcasing these schemes in poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The “Rajasthan Model” is now getting popular in the country.
Observers believe that Congress may pick Gehlot for the post of party chief in view of his clean image and his government’s pro-people popular decisions. However, who a clear picture about the candidate for the top post will be known only on 30 September, the last date for nomination. The BJP’s strategic calculations will stand upset if Gehlot gets the top post. With this in view, the central agencies are keeping their focus on Rajasthan. The raids on a minister of the Gehlot government and some leaders close to CM are being seen as beginning of the larger “gameplan”. PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra has already said that central probe agencies will conduct more raids like this as elections draw nearer just to defame the Gehlot government. He also claimed that agencies will get nothing. The Congress will not let the BJP and central government succeed in their “political move”. In fact, since 2020, Gehlot has been facing challenges due to ‘conspiracy’ of his own party leaders and owing also to probe agencies. What is making the situation worse is that the high command is not even warning the party insiders who are creating such troubles for their own government. As a result, Pilot and his supporters continue to give statements aimed at heating up internal politics.
What is clear is that if Gehlot is elevated, then his successor in Rajasthan will be a leader of his choice. But the Sachin faction is trying to create pressure to get the former Dy CM appointed as CM if Gehlot goes to Delhi. Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Chairman, Dharmendra Rathore, who is a senior Congress leader, says that Gehlot believes in moving forward on the basis of his works and achievements. So, raids and political statements cannot make any impact on him, Rathore adds. He alleges that BJP has been trying to destabilize the government for the last four years. But the truth is for everyone to see, he adds.