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Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot returns as senior observer for Gujarat polls
A senior Congress leader familiar with the development said the reason for Gehlot’s appointment is to emulate the decent show Congress put in the 2017 polls and try to better their tally this time around
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot was on Wednesday appointed as the senior observer for the upcoming 2022 Gujarat assembly polls by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
He was incharge of the 2017 Gujarat polls too.
Several Congress leaders feel his appointment will boost the party’s chances in the polls but others remain sceptical given there is only around three months left for the polls to take place.
Not just Gehlot, but the party incharge of Gujarat is also from Rajasthan.
MLA Raghu Sharma, who was released from the cabinet post and given the organisational responsibility eight months back.
Also Read: ‘BJP must come clean’: Rajasthan CM Gehlot on links with Udaipur murder accused
AICC has given additional responsibilities to 13 ministers and MLAs in Rajasthan.
A senior Congress leader familiar with the development said the reason for Gehlot’s appointment is to emulate the decent show Congress put in the 2017 polls and try to better their tally this time around.
BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the past 27 years.
In 2017, out of the total 182 seats, BJP was claiming to win 150 seats but had to eventually settle for less than 100 while Congress got 77 seats.
In 2012, BJP had won 116 while Congress won 60.
“Gehlot’s political acumen and strategies are known across the country, and no other could counter Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, especially at their home turf. The CM even hit the streets and distributed party pamphlets in the last polls,” the senior party leader said.
Despite a tough fight in the state, Congress has, however, failed to maintain its success.
Congress has lost at least 14 MLAs in the past two years, who crossed over to the BJP.
The party’s strength in the state legislative assembly has fallen from 77 to about 64 MLAs. The BJP, which won 99 seats in 2017, has seen its numbers grow to 111 MLAs. The assembly has 182 members.
Patidar leader Hardik Patel left Congress and joined BJP.
Congress in Gujarat had weaved an alliance of three youth leaders, including Patel, Jignesh Mevani and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, to take on the BJP in 2017. Thakor left Congress and joined the BJP in 2019.
Congress, last week had appointed Mevani as one of the seven working presidents of Gujarat.
Political analyst Manish Godha said Gehlot is among the tall leaders of Congress, who despite being a chief minister regularly takes on Modi and Shah on almost every issue, be it concerning state or nation.
“He is considered as a key strategist of the party and close to the Gandhis. He has proved himself earlier also in Punjab and Gujarat, where the party was nowhere in the contest before he assumed the charge as observer. Even the BJP leaders think that it is difficult to read Gehlot’s mind and strategies,” he said.
Godha said he campaigned extensively with Rahul Gandhi in the last Gujarat polls.
