With Rajasthan state assembly elections just around the corner, all political parties are waiting to exploit their chances. Following a grand victory in Dholpur bypolls last month, a confident Raje is braced up for upcoming elections. Rajasthan BJP will leave no stone unturned to redeem its ‘Development Card’ in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Congress, caught amidst meetings, dinners and elaborate campaigns, is seeking permanent solutions to its in-house feuds.
Following Mr. Avinash Pandey’s appointment as the new state in-charge for Rajasthan Congress, the leaders are in a state of perpetual dilemma. Former AICC secretary and active member of Congress working committee, Mr. Gurudas Kamat projected Sachin Pilot as chief minister candidate for the upcoming 2018 Rajasthan elections. Time and again, Kamat has confirmed that Pilot will lead Congress’s election campaigns.
Nevertheless, a change in plan was in order now that Pandey has replaced Kamat in Rajasthan. In a state-level meeting held in Jaipur yesterday, Pandey cleared the wind. If things go as planned, Congress VP Rahul Gandhi will lead the party flagship in Rajasthan. The news came as a bitter pill for Pilot supporters, especially Rajasthan Jats and Gurjars who were banking on Pilot to represent their community in the upcoming elections.
Contrary to what Kamat feels, Congress seniors had put former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in the forefront. Gehlot, who attended the meeting yesterday, was beaming with confidence, after Pandey made the announcement. The sudden change in plan points at Pilot’s humiliating defeat in Dholpur bypoll elections.
Irrespective of the fact that Dholpur is heavily populated with Jats and Gujjars, Sachin Pilot failed to attain victory for his party. Pilot’s failure strengthened Gehlot’s position within the party.
Ever since Pilot was appointed as the PCC chief for Rajasthan Congress, Mohan Prakash and C.P. Joshi have evaded all state-level meetings. This is for the first time that the senior leaders were spotted at the meeting with Gehlot and Pandey in attendance.
Eyeing the polls, Congress VP Rahul Gandhi called in a meeting of Rajasthan leaders in Delhi today. All leaders including Joshi, Gehlot and Pilot are expected to attend this meeting. The oldest party of India is desperately trying to stake its claim on Rajasthan. Scared by BJP’s growing popularity on social media, Congress is currently planning ‘solid’ strategies to establish its presence among youths on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.
Meanwhile, the party is divided between the senior and junior wings. The oldies support Gehlot whereas the young ones invest their faith in Pilot’s capabilities. Confused and frustrated with the tug-of-war among leaders, Congress high command is set to declare their Chief Minister candidate after the elections, taking UP elections as an example.
If things continue this way, how will copy-cat Congress beat BJP at this game? Rather than borrowing strategies from different parties, Rajasthan Congress needs to come up with powerful strategies to consolidate their chances in upcoming polls.
