Gehlot alleges BJP’s foul play in winning Rajasthan assembly election
Gehlot said that while the Congress fought the election on real and local issues such as education and welfare, the BJP brought religious issues
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan won the recent state assembly election by playing a ‘foul game’, said the outgoing chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday.
“They (BJP) won the election by playing a foul game. We (Gehlot-led Congress government) brought a slew of remarkable welfare schemes, laws, and guarantees in the state. Despite it being a state assembly election, none of them (BJP) discussed what we have done and what we failed at. They fought the election only on the line of polarization,” said Gehlot at the Delhi airport before heading to the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters to attend the party’s election review meeting.
In the recently concluded state assembly election, while the opposition BJP emerged as the winner, bagging over 115 out of 200 constituencies in Rajasthan, the ruling Congress could only win 69 seats.
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The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP weaponised a slew of lies to win the poll battle.
Gehlot said that while the Congress fought the election on real and local issues such as education and welfare, the BJP brought religious issues. During their campaign, the BJP talked about from Triple Talaq to Article 370 and the murder of Kanhaiyalal in Udaipur, said Gehlot, adding that the BJP poisoned the people’s ears with this lie and won the election.
Underlining the raids conducted by the central investigating agencies at the residences of the Congress leaders ahead of the assembly election, Gehlot said, “The BJP did not have any agenda to fight the election. They are destroying the democracy and our constitution. They are misusing the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department, and Central Bureau of Investigation. It is a dangerous game that is going on across the country. People will give their answer soon.”
Further taking a dig at the BJP’s delay in choosing the new chief minister of the state, Gehlot said, “I had to sign the no-objection letter to the government of India to refer the (Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh) Gogamedi’s murder case to National Investigation Agency (NIA) while it is the job of the new CM. It has been over six days since the poll result came, but they (BJP) have yet not been able to announce the CM face in three states.”
Chief of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in the living room of his house in Shyamnagar here on Tuesday. A special investigation team (SIT) was formed on Wednesday to investigate the murder.
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There is no discipline in the BJP, and if Congress had done the same, they would have levelled all sorts of allegations, said Gehlot. “They would have alleged having lobbies and factions inside our party leading to such delay. Now, what is going on in their party?” he said.
Gehlot added, “We have accepted the result of the election. I have best wishes for the new government which I do not know when will be formed. But I hope they will go ahead with the schemes, policies, and acts we have brought in the state and will put their best effort into the welfare of the people.”
Responding to Gehlot, BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said, “His comment is unfortunate and an insult to the people of Rajasthan. People have voted against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, growing violence against women, and a surge in corruption. They voted for the welfare schemes of the BJP-led Union government and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
He added, “It is not Gehlot’s concern that when our CM will be announced. Soon, the Rajasthan will get a responsible CM and a cabinet that will ensure good governance in the state.”
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi have arrived at the AICC headquarters in Delhi for the key meeting to assess the party’s performance in the recent Rajasthan assembly polls.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra also arrived in Delhi to take part in the meeting. He expressed the party’s focus on analysing shortcomings and making corrections for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“We will deliberate on the reasons behind why we could return to power in the state. We will analyze our shortcomings and make corrections for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Dotasra said.