In a show of unity, senior leaders of the ruling Congress in Rajasthan attended a review meeting on the Assembly election campaign here on Tuesday evening, after which Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot posted its photo on X (formerly Twitter), saying: Ek Saath, Jeet Rahe Hain Phir Se (Together, we are winning again). Former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot flew in from Bhopal to attend the meeting. Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, who was here for the meeting, spoke on a wide range of issues in an interview to The Hindu at Pradesh Congress Committee’s war room on Wednesday. Mr. Venugopal said the election was a tool for the Congress to fulfil the people’s aspirations. Edited excerpts:
The Assembly election campaign in Rajasthan is getting shrill with allegations being made about appeasement and support for terrorists. How does the Congress plan to deal with the BJP’s strategy to polarise the voters?
The BJP has got nothing to tell the people about governance at the national or State level because it has not done anything to address the real issues of unemployment, price rise and deep agrarian crisis. These problems have arisen because of wrong policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre, which is just not concerned about people’s sorrows. Communalism and the tendency to polarise the voters are in the BJP’s DNA. They are doing this through their false and misleading campaign.
Is this the only way the BJP is trying to put Congress in a bad light?
Misuse of the Central investigating agencies, such as the ED [Enforcement Directorate], CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation], and Income Tax Department, forms part of the BJP’s strategy to target the Congress party and the leaders in the Congress-ruled States. The ED has become one of the star campaigners of the BJP, but there is not a single BJP candidate who has been raided by the agency anywhere in the country. With the misuse of the official machinery, the level playing field for elections has been lost.
Will the BJP’s strategy succeed in a State like Rajasthan, where the political leaders still follow strong traditions and ethics?
These tactics of the BJP will not succeed here because they are meant to divert people’s attention from the real issues. Congress fights the elections not just for winning. Election is a tool for Congress to fulfil the people’s aspirations. You can see the difference in governance between Congress-ruled States and those ruled by the BJP. We have started fulfilling our promises in Karnataka, where we won recently. You cannot feed the people with communal sentiments indefinitely. If you want to feed them, you have to give them rice.
The Congress leaders have criticised the BJP’s decision to project its symbol, the lotus, as its Chief Ministerial face. But the Congress itself has not announced anyone as its Chief Ministerial candidate in Rajasthan.
Congress has a tradition of not announcing the Chief Ministerial face before elections. After the party’s victory, the MLAs will be consulted and the high command will take a decision on the CM’s appointment. We are contesting the polls on the strength of government’s goodwill and the brilliant welfare measures and guarantees. The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, which spent the highest number of days in Rajasthan, created a great enthusiasm among the party cadre and the public, and its impact is still visible here.
But why is Rahul Gandhi not campaigning actively in Rajasthan?
The impression that Mr. Gandhi is not serious about campaigning in Rajasthan has been created by a section of the media. He has been busy with the campaign for the last three weeks in the States going to polls before Rajasthan. It is the AICC [All India Congress Committee] which prepares the tour programmes of senior leaders. We have fixed his schedule in Rajasthan a bit later because of the polling day [on November 25]. Mr. Gandhi will launch his campaign here on Thursday and camp in the State for at least four days.
Has the Congress finally resolved the differences between the camps led by Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot? Does the factionalism in the party’s State unit worry you?
All the senior leaders of Rajasthan met for a review of our election campaign in Jaipur last evening. Mr. Pilot, who was busy with the campaign in Madhya Pradesh, took great pains and flew in just for the meeting and left for Bhopal this morning. We had a very cordial discussion with no trace of factionalism. When the party’s interest is supreme, all the leaders are on the same page despite their different personal views. Both Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Pilot are campaigning aggressively for Congress. I am very much sure that we are going to form the government with a comfortable majority.
Is the Congress planning to take action against rebels who have refused to withdraw from the electoral fight?
The number of rebels in Congress is far less than those in the BJP. We are talking to them. They are of the Congress mind and their goal is to defeat the BJP. Some of them were deserving people who may get a chance the next time. We hope they will understand the significance of this election and withdraw from the contest. The party will take a decision on those who are adamant on contesting as Independents.
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