As the countdown for 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan starts, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on corruption-free administration, putting communal clashes at bay and bringing all-round prosperity in the border State. The party is confident that the voters of Rajasthan will give BJP an opportunity to return to power. However, it will not be a cakewalk for the saffron party due to freebies and minority appeasement. Mahendra Kumar of Organiser did an exclusive interview with Rajendra Singh Rathore, leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, in Tonk. Excerpts:
Due to multiple factors, Rajasthan elections are going to be challenging. What is BJP’s strategy to emerge a winner in the Assembly polls?
Our Bharatiya Janata Party workers will play an important role in 52,000 booths across Rajasthan. Our booth teams comprising Shakti Kendra workers, Panna Pramukhs and famous karyakartas as well as MPs and Union Ministers are going among the public and seeking their blessings for the victory of BJP. Our workers have conveyed to the people about the shortcomings of the Gehlot Government in the last five years. This Government has betrayed the people. In fact, it has looted the public for five years. The people of Rajasthan are going to win in the Assembly polls. This will be the most shameful defeat of Congress so far in this election. In true sense, this was not a Congress Government but a circus Government. Just as you don’t know what will happen in a circus, the same happened in this Government. In 2018, Sachin Pilot played an essential role in forming the Congress Government, which Ashok Gehlot rejected and said many objectionable things. The Rajasthan Government continued to function at a five-star hotel for 34 days. There was a massive imbalance in the Government. Ashok Gehlot gave full opportunity to loot the MLAs and Ministers to ensure that the MLA does not get angry. For their own benefit, Congress people allowed Rajasthan to burn in the fire of communalism. There is huge corruption in this Government; there is huge resentment among the people for the Congress Government. Hence, I can say this with full confidence that this Government will not come again. Our workers are working very hard, and the BJP will definitely be successful in the elections.
“In Rajasthan, lakhs of people are coming to Modi Ji’s rallies. This shows that his popularity is very high in Rajasthan and the country. Modi Ji has made every effort to fulfill his promises to the public”
Nineteen seats are in Rajasthan from where the BJP has never won till date. Is there any special plan to ensure that your party comes with flying colours?
You are absolutely right, there are many seats in Rajasthan from where BJP has never won. We have fielded our candidates in the first list for some of these seats. We had started working at the grassroots level to win these seats even before the elections. I can tell you with certainty that BJP will win these seats this time also.
It has been a tradition in Rajasthan elections that the public elects Congress in the first term and BJP in the second. Will the BJP also benefit from this anti-incumbency practice?
It is true that this anti-incumbency exists in Rajasthan. Hence, the people here are frustrated by false promises made by Congress and want to defeat the ruling party. Many Ministers as well as big leaders of the Congress Government have left the party. The Ashok Gehlot Government talked about waiving off loans of farmers and giving allowances to the unemployed but this government has not fulfilled any of its promises. The Congress Government here showed many false dreams to the innocent people of Rajasthan. This Government has spent crores of rupees on advertisements to brighten its image.
You hail from the Tonk district, which is the stronghold of Congress. What steps are being taken to ensure that BJP wins from here?
The people of Tonk are facing problems due to frequent power cuts for the whole five years. Here, corruption remained at its peak in local bodies and Panchayats. Our BJP workers have taken up all the issues related to the public to every home through the Jan Aakrosh Yatra. There is an atmosphere in favour of the BJP in Tonk. When the results are out, you will see a change in governance. It would be a big achievement if Congress saves even one seat out of four in the Tonk district. Sachin Pilot is the MLA from Tonk but he never comes to the Assembly, hence people are angry with him. The people of Tonk have made up their mind that they will give a chance to BJP this time.
BJP fights every election with full vigour, whether it is of Panchayat or Assembly. Union Ministers and MPs have also been given the responsibility of election campaigns in Rajasthan. What do you have to say about this?
Bharatiya Janata Party has a very big family. Hence, BJP allows all its members to move forward in the elections. BJP MPs and Union Ministers all consider themselves as BJP workers. Therefore, during the election campaign, all senior people will try to forge communication with the common people.
What are the issues which the BJP is taking up before the people of Rajasthan in the Assembly elections?
In Rajasthan, the BJP is taking up multiple issues among the people. According to NCRB data, Rajasthan has remained number one in crime against women for the last three years. Looting and extortion have become common in the State. A lot of corruption took place in the name of development. Notes and gold were recovered in the Secretariat in Jaipur recently. All these things prove that this Government was a Government of thieves whose demise is now certain. The Ashok Gehlot Government made false promises to the people. Farmers were cheated, and question paper leakages have become a common thing here. Due to paper leaks, this Government has been continuously breaking the dreams of lakhs of youth. BJP workers have been taking up all these issues among the general public for the last several months. Hence, an atmosphere is being created in favour of BJP.
“The Ashok Gehlot Government talked about waiving off loans of farmers and giving allowances to the unemployed, but this government has not fulfilled any of its promises. The Congress government here showed many false dreams to the innocent people of Rajasthan”
“In Rajasthan, lakhs of people are coming to Modi Ji’s rallies. This shows that his popularity is very high in Rajasthan and the country. Modi Ji has made every effort to fulfill his promises to the public”
The Prime Minister is continuously touring Rajasthan. How much of Modi ji’s magic will be seen in the assembly elections?
The country’s Prime Minister is the role model for all the workers and his magic will ensure that we will win the upcoming elections. In Rajasthan, lakhs of people are coming to Modi Ji’s rallies. This shows that his popularity is very high among the electorate in Rajasthan and the rest of the country. Modi Ji has made every effort to fulfill all his promises. Whatever guarantee Modi Ji gives to the people of Rajasthan, the people will believe in it. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP Government will come to power in Rajasthan once again with an overwhelming majority.
In the 2018 elections, the BJP was successful in winning 73 seats. There were some shortcomings of the BJP in the 2018 elections. What steps are being taken to ensure that those shortcomings do not occur in this election?
BJP fought the 2018 elections very well. There was anti-incumbency, so the BJP had to face defeat in some seats. Mistakes were also made in the distribution of seats. This time, we have learnt from all these mistakes. Therefore, special care is being taken to ensure that such challenges do not arise in this elections. This time, the BJP is going to get more than two-thirds majority.
“The Ashok Gehlot Government talked about waiving off loans of farmers and giving allowances to the unemployed, but this government has not fulfilled any of its promises. The Congress government here showed many false dreams to the innocent people of Rajasthan”
In today’s era, elections are won through social media and media. What steps are being taken to strengthen this system?
In today’s time, the role of social media and media is very important. Through all these mediums, we are raising public issues. Our effort is to create call centres in every district. For this, we have formed teams across Rajasthan. We will spread all these issues to the people through social media, like crimes against women, betrayal of farmers rights and corruption of Congress leaders.
Many organisations, which share similar ideology, help BJP during elections. What steps are being taken to establish coordination with these organisations?
We are constantly getting guidance from organisations which share our ideology and we will follow the path shown by them. Our sister organisations and we are working collectively to oust this useless Government.
CM Ashok Gehlot recently started many big schemes like farmers welfare, smart education and employment opportunities. Will these schemes harm the prospect of the BJP in the elections?
These plans are not going to create a favourable environment for this Government. Ashok Gehlot started this scheme to woo the voters. Earlier, too, such systems were announced three to four months before the elections. Parties like Congress take such steps. This is not going to create an atmosphere against BJP.
So far, the Ashok Gehlot Government has spent approximately Rs 2000 crores in publicity.
How do you view this wasteful expenditure of public money?
This Government has been relying on propaganda. Public money was used as propaganda to spread false promises. The people of Rajasthan have known the truth and have made up their mind to remove Congress from power.
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