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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Ashok Gehlot ‘roped in for talks with like-minded parties’
Party leaders with knowledge of the matter said Ashok Gehlot, along with senior leaders such as AICC treasurer Ahmed Patel and others are working on the math to form a UPA government as the party believes that the BJP will win less than 200 seats and that Congress with the UPA alliance could form the government at the Centre.
The Congress central leadership is considering roping in chief minister Ashok Gehlot to strengthen ties with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) parties and other opposition parties before the Lok Sabha elections results, to prepare ground for a potential UPA government at the Centre, party leaders privy to the discussion, said.
Gehlot, a senior party leader, has been camping in Delhi since the two-phase LS elections in the state’s 25 seats concluded on Monday.
Party leaders with knowledge of the matter, who did not want to be named, said Gehlot, along with senior leaders such as All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer Ahmed Patel and others are working on the math to form a UPA government as the party believes that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win less than 200 seats and that Congress with the UPA alliance could form the government at the Centre.
“There is a strong under current against the BJP across the country. And we are confident that the UPA and its allies will form its government at the Centre,” said Archana Sharma, Rajasthan Congress spokesperson.
Gehlot, who left Jaipur on Monday evening, had a long meeting with Ahmed in Delhi on Tuesday.
A leader considered close to Gehlot said he would be staying in Delhi for couple of days, and besides participating in campaign in Haryana and Punjab, he would connect with other parties to strengthen ties. Gehlot was a friend of YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Reddy’s father, the leader said, to signify why the state chief minister has been roped in the Central leadership to look at alliance options in post May 23 scenario.
A Congress party office bearer, on condition of anonymity, said, “Having discussion with other political party or alliances is an exercise undertaken especially when there is general perception that no party or alliance will get a majority in Lok Sabha. Senior leaders such as Ahmed Patel, Gehlot, AICC general secretary (headquarters) KC Venugopal, P Chidmabaram, Mukul Wasnik and Gulam Nabi Azad are among the key players who work election math on direction of party chief Rahul Gandhi.”
Another senior leader, who was a member of Parliament (MP) and member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), also confirmed that an exercise to reach out to other political parties has started as part of “advance planning” before results are announced.
He said that before being appointed as the chief minister of Rajasthan, Gehlot was AICC general secretary in-charge of organization and his work as in-charge of elections in Gujarat and Karnataka was appreciated by Gandhi.
“Gehlot played an important role to ensure Janata Dal (United) agrees for an alliance with the Congress in Karnataka in 2018 after no party managed to get a clear majority in the house.”
The Congress got 79 seats and the BJP 99 in the 182 member state assembly in Gujarat, which the BJP is ruling for the past 30 years.
Political analyst Narayan Bareth said “This is a crucial election and Gehlot is a trusted person. Predictions are there that there will be no clear mandate and accordingly the Congress seems to be working on the aftermath.”
