Both Congress, BJP see political benefit in ED action in Rajasthan

With the recent raids by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Rajasthan likely to snowball into a major electoral issue, both the Congress and the BJP are seeing political benefit in the central agency’s action.
The development has resulted in a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. While the grand old party came heavily down on BJP for this, the saffron party defended the Central government and ED raids. In fact, Congress is confident of retaining power in Rajasthan, banking on Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s popular welfare schemes. The BJP, on the other hand, is raising the paper leak case to woo 70 lakh youths of the state. BJP is also eyeing victory on the basis of issues related to women and youth. The agencies such as ED and Income Tax have been conducting raids in Rajasthan over the last three years. But the ED raids just ahead of Assembly polls in Rajasthan may boomerang on the BJP as the timing of the ED action is being questioned.
Secondly, PCC chief Govind Singh Dorasra is a Jat leader and his supporters are terming the ED raids against him as targeting of this community. Dotasra is asking ED to share what its sleuths got during raids. Congress is accusing the Central government of misusing probe agencies to tarnish the image of the Gehlot government. CM Gehlot has alleged that the ED action is a result of BJP’s nervousness due to its imminent defeat in polls. Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the central government over the ED action.
Congress claims that it will get sympathy votes in Rajasthan like Karnataka where ED had raided premises belonging to Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar. Undoubtedly, Congress seems to have succeeded in generating sympathy among the voters after the ED action. On the other hand, the BJP is seeing it in its favour. That is why Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused Gehlot of politicising the ED action. He said that the paper leak case has jeopardised the future of 70 lakh youths. He accused the Gehlot government of shielding those responsible for the paper leak. If the issue escalates then it may also go to the advantage of BJP.
However, the Gehlot government has enacted strict laws in paper leak cases. Still, there is resentment among the youth clearly visible. The BJP strategists are aware that the party does not have any solid issue against the government. So, the BJP has projected the paper leak case as a big issue to corner Congress.
ED has sent summons to CM Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot in an old case. The agency also raided residences of Dotasra who was education minister when papers were leaked. The ED conducts raids when the elections are being held and the date for filing nominations is also approaching. While the ED raids have sent the political mercury rising in Rajasthan, Congress is also in a combative mode. BJP believes that the paper leak issue will result in massive resentment among students and their parents against the government.
ED summons to Vaibhav Gehlot will also tarnish CM Gehlot’s image. The BJP is also targeting the government over women safety, law and order and corruption issues. The ED and Income Tax have so far been unable to achieve anything substantial in Rajasthan. But the paper leak and women safety are quite serious issues. The Congress finds it difficult to defend itself on these issues.