Finally, Ashok Gehlot hits the campaign trail

With just a week left for voting, AICC general secretary and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot kick-started his campaigning for the bypolls.

Gehlot began campaigning in Bhilwara (Mandalgarh constituency) and sought votes for Vivek Dhakad. He undertook a door-to-door campaign for Dhakad and also held rallies in the rural belt, appealing to voters to support the Congress. Gehlot will be touring Alwar on January 23 and Ajmer on January 24-25 to give a fillip to the party’s image. Gehlot initially distanced himself from active campaigning since January 10, when all party candidates filed nomination. He was present in rallies held on the event of filing nominations. Though, in the last 10 days, he did not tour bypoll constituencies but visited other areas like Bikaner and Sikar.

As campaigning enters its final leg with polling scheduled on January 29, Gehlot decided to opt for active campaigning.

In Mandalgarh, he attacked the Vasundhara Raje government for its alleged failures in governance.

Meanwhile, PCC chief Sachin Pilot, who is active in campaigning for two fortnights, toured Ajmer and took potshot at the ruling BJP on various issues like what he claimed misrule and the party’s campaigning where it said it was sure of victory in all the bypoll seats of Ajmer, Alwar and Mandalgarh. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is feeling the heat of defeat in Ajmer, Alwar and Madalgarh bypolls. Despite beinga star campaigner, he is not coming this time. Also, we (Congress leaders) go to temples to seek blessings while BJP does politics on religion,” said Pilot, while seeking votes for candidate Raghu Sharma in Ajmer.

‘Temple politics’ flared up in the Gujarat assembly elections when AICC president Rahul Gandhi visited a shrine, which was dubbed as the Congress’s inclination towards ‘soft Hindutva’.

PROTEST AGAINST HIGH VAT

• Congress staged a protest against rising prices of petrol as well as diesel and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ChiefMinister Vasundhara Raje demanding abolition of value added tax (VAT) and cess which could help in bringing down price of products.The protest by party leaders was held at 16 junctions in Jaipur on Sunday. “Until demand for abolishing VAT and cess is not met, the party will continue to protest against the government,” said Pratap Singh Khachariawas, president of the Jaipur District Congress Committee.