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Corporate savvy financial wizard Jhabak takes on Gehlot
The former vice-chief of ITC Mahendra Jhabak seeking to dethrone Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Corporate savvy former vice-chief of ITC Mahendra Jhabak seeking to dethrone Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday admitted that his only weakness could be that he entered politics only now despite his 25 year long association with grassroots people.
Contesting his first election from Sardarpura Assembly constituency against Gehlot, considered number one reformist chief minister by many, Jhabak is not awed by his rival's image which he considers as media managed.
Giving up his 25-year-old corporate career last year after serving as vice-chief of ITC due to persuasion by Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, the BJP nominee said "whatever may be the poll result I will continue to be with the people."
Asked for the reason behind his sudden plunge into politics, he replied "I have not taken a plunge after serving corporate sector for a long period. My association with the people here is 25 years long by way of social service."
On swat analysis, which in corporate parlance, is done to assess strength and weakness of a project, Jhabak, a chartered accountant by profession said he did not have the time to do so.
"But I think my strength is that I am a people's man and I have leadership qualities," he said .
Jhabak dismissed the suggestion that Gehlot was number one reformist chief minister in the country saying it was more of a media creation.
"Anyway I am not contesting against chief minister as the term of the government is already over and he is just a Congress candidate I can defeat," the BJP nominee said.
Jhabak who garnered support of Jodhpur Maharaja Gaj Singh said Gehlot should not contest as CM but as an ordinary candidates like others.
Every day, he said, they were coming across 50 to 60 evidences of Gehlot misusing government machinery with local administration acting at his behest.
Gehlot's biggest strength was that he managed media very well, Jhabak added.
Criticising Gehlot government's poor performance Jhabak said it could be gauged by the fact that the desert state was worst hit by sharply increasing unemployment.
Asked to comment on Rajasthan government's signing of MoU with the Centre of reforms to get more assistance, he said unfortunately Gehlot was not able to get advantage of liberal central assistance wherein the state has just to contribute only 10 percent resources to avail 90 per cent central assistance.
Taking a swipe at chief minister's clean image, Jhabak said Gehlot is heading a system that is totally corrupt.
"Just by not keeping any portfolio, he cannot absolve him of corruption by his ministers," the BJP nominee said.
He claimed that he would get support from all the segments of society cutting across caste lines and said he was getting good response from Muslim minority, particularly its young generation.
