Gehlot said his party will focus on the development done during its previous rules in the poll-bound state and highlight the failure of the present state government during its campaigning.
AICC general secretary and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday that the Congress will continue with the schemes initiated by the Vasundhara Raje-led government rather than bringing them to an end, if it is voted to power in Rajasthan.
Gehlot said his party will focus on the development done during its previous rules in the poll-bound state and highlight the failure of the present state government during its campaigning.
In the past decade the Congress and BJP ruled the state alternatively and accused each other of dumping their populist schemes. In 2008 when Congress came into the power and Gehlot became the CM, he did not show interests in carrying forward the Bhamashah Scheme which was an initiative of Raje’s first stint as the CM between 2003-08. Also, Resurgent Rajasthan, another of Raje’s brain child which was meant to draw investment in the state, was overlooked by Gehlot. Similarly, when Raje became the CM for the second time, she overlooked Gehlot’s pet projects like the Jaipur Metro and Barmer Refinery. The second phase of metro from Sitapura to Ambabari is still on stand by and there is no progress. Though Raje gave a green signal to the refinery project when she felt the terms and conditions of its MoU were favourable according to her. The free medicine scheme launched by Gehlot also failed to get momentum in Raje’s rule. Now, Gehlot’s statement seems to be putting an end to this decade old ‘politics’ over welfare schemes in the state.
“People are angry with Vasundhara ji. She not only cheated the people but has betrayed them. The public had given the government a huge majority. But, corruption has increased manifold. Congress will surely come to power. If we come to power, we promise the people of Rajasthan that we will not end any scheme started by Vasundhara ji. We will take them forward. For development, it is our progressive thought to work in the interest of people without wasting time,” Gehlot said.
Gehlot, who is also the chairman of the state’s Election Coordination Committee, said that preparations are in full swing to bounce back in power. “We are ready (for the polls). Full preparations are going on. We face no problems, as the situation is in favour of the Congress. I am confident that we will form the next government in Rajasthan,” he said.
Gehlot refuted reports of a division within the state Congress unit, and said some ‘political players’ were responsible for spreading such rumours. “The high command makes a decision after the elections. Never ever have we declared any chief ministerial candidate. We have no demands. There is no infighting,” he clarified.
—With inputs from ANI
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 "Ashok Gehlot")
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