Rajasthan Stays True To Form, Votes Out The Incumbent
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-12-06 14:07:40
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
Ashok Gehlot is an optimist. Despite being aware that the people of Rajasthan traditionally vote out the incumbent, he launched a slew of welfare schemes in the election year to persuade the electorate to change its mind this one time. He knew age was not on his side (he is 72) and this was perhaps going to be his last chance to bow out in glory. Then there was the fact that he had refused the offer to be the Congress president for not letting go of the home turf. His idea was to sidetrack Sachin Pilot and propel his son Vaibhav Gehlot to the forefront. But with the electorate staying true to form and voting him out, his plans have been foiled.
There is no doubt that Gehlot tried his hardest. He used his political acumen; activated his vast network spread across the state, gave tickets to his chosen men and women, enticed the electorate with a number of freebies and ran a tight and aggressive campaign. But it came to naught because of the revolving door policy of the electorate, huge anti-incumbency, innumerable corruption charges against the administration and internal strife in the party. Then the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal by two Muslim radicals happened and it put the Congress on the back foot. As it is, the crime rate in the state was rising fast and the administration was seen as incapable of stopping it. As if all this was not enough to peg the Congress back, Prime Minister Modi came charging in with 'Modi Ki Guarantee' and everything the Congress had to offer became immaterial. Since the BJP had not declared its chief ministerial face, the contest in effect became Modi versus Gehlot. That sealed Gehlot's fate.
The Rajasthan elections also proved that revdis do not always work, especially if they are offered in the election year as the people see them for what they are - disguised bribery.
