Congress’s Rajasthan poll panel holds first meeting, Gehlot targets BJP

Gehlot said the Bharatiya Janata Party seemed to have accepted defeat even before the assembly elections are held, as the opposition party does not have a face in its state leadership

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seemed to have accepted defeat even before the assembly elections are held, as the opposition party does not have a face in its state leadership.

Exuding confidence of a big win for the party, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the feedback received from people shows they have made up their mind to repeat the Congress government in the state. (HT Photo)

“The BJP is planning to fight the election on the face of the Prime Minister. This shows that they have already accepted the defeat,” Gehlot said, in an apparent dig at frequent visit by BJP’s central leaders to the state ahead of the polls.

“When BJP leaders will contest elections, people will ask them whether their poll promises will be fulfilled from Delhi…If they are not in a position to declare who is their leader in Rajasthan, I believe it is a situation where even before the polls they have accepted their defeat,” the chief minister said.

Elections to the 200-member Rajasthan assembly are scheduled for later this year, along with Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Gehlot, who was talking to reporters after the first meeting of the Congress’s state election committee, said: “Winnability will be the only criteria [for candidate selection]. We are going to follow the Karnataka model, where a 90-year-old youth contested the polls and won.”

Govind Singh Dotasara, chairperson of the state election committee, said applications from interested candidates will be accepted from August 21-23.

“Discussions were held with members… on issues that need to be focused to repeat the Congress government,” Dotasara, who is also the state party chief, added.

Reacting to Gehlot’s remarks, BJP legislator Vasudev Devnani said the “frustrated” Congress failed even to appoint its district chiefs in the state, and yet it is questioning the BJP. “They are dreaming to repeat the government. The people have made up their mind. None of their announcement has come to the ground,” he added.