Rajasthan Chief Minister prepares to break tradition of government change in the desert state and surprise with his budget.
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, whose budget will surprise many on 10 February, is determined to repeat his government after the Assembly elections this year. Showcasing his achievements so far, Gehlot is leading from the front in cornering the BJP.
Before presentation of the budget, CM Gehlot has taken control of the entire organisational network, ignoring the internal politics of the party. Before the commencement of the last budget session of this term of his government, Gehlot had expressed confidence that the Congress would break the tradition of government change in Rajasthan this time. No government has so far been repeated by the voters since Rajasthan came into being. Political observers believe that Gehlot may break this tradition by virtue of his schemes and decisions. Secondly, the faction fighting in BJP may also go to the advantage of the Congress. There are already half a dozen contenders for the CM post in BJP. A new name of Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, has also been added to the list. He hails from Pali district of Rajasthan. Vaishnaw is also close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The names of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, MP C.P. Joshi, Diya Kumari and State BJP president Stish Punia are also doing the rounds. Former CM Vasundhara Raje is also a claimant, and she made her presence felt differently. She is fighting on her own. Needless to say, Raje is the only BJP leader to have a strong hold in all the regions of the state. She has been attending religious programmes across the state in what was seen as a show of strength on her part. It will be known only during the polls how much weight high command accords her. The internal fight of the BJP would surely benefit Congress. Gehlot is not facing any anti-incumbency sentiments at the same time. There of course is anti-incumbency against ministers and legislators. If these ministers and MLAs improve their working in next six months then Congress’ return may be a surety. However, Gehlot is taking no chances. He knows that the government would return only on his works.
The old pension scheme is already popular at national level. Employees are demanding the scheme in BJP ruled states. The saffron party is under pressure after losing Himachal Pradesh. Sanjeevani Swasthya Yojana, urban employment guarantee, etc. are also in the headlines.
Gehlot’s decision to provide gas cylinders at the cost of Rs 500 each is also getting public support. Referring to his achievements, Gehlot has asked ten questions to the BJP in a bid to corner the opposition. He said that his government opened 266 primary schools over the last four years, while not a single school was opened during the BJP rule.
Moreover, 1,400 primary schools have been upgraded. His government also did a commendable job in hospitals, Gehlot said. The government under Gehlot helped old age people and women while the BJP regime failed to do so. Gehlot, who is challenging BJP on the ground of his works, is trying to woo all sections of the society.