Rajasthan has a history of voting out incumbent governments, and Ashok Gehlot has been there twice in his political career. But this time would be different, he says as he sits down for dinner after yet another gruelling day.
“We have delivered, and people know that we have delivered,” Mr. Gehlot said. His plan for winning a majority in the 200-seat State Assembly hinges on the slew of welfare and development schemes his government has kicked off. In 2018, the Congress won 100 seats, one short of majority. Election will be announced early October.
Mr. Gehlot calls it the “mali model of good governance”, referring to his caste that is traditionally in the occupation of gardening. He likens his job as the Chief Minister to that of a gardener. “Mali’s job is to tend the garden. There are flowers of various colours and fragrances. They need to be nourished and protected. As CM of Rajasthan, I think of myself as a gardener of the society,” he said.
“Rajasthan is a garden. We have people from all communities. Brahmin, Vaishya, Dalit, backward classes, Muslims… the garden is beautiful when we have all types of flowers... Similarly, people of all backgrounds make a society complete...The job I am trying to do is tend it,” he said.
Talking point
Mali is an OBC community, and Mr. Gehlot’s social origin has become a talking point for the Congress across the country.
“Of the four Chief Ministers that we have, three are from OBC communities,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.
Madhya Pradesh will also be voting along with Rajasthan and a few other States.
“I am the only one from the mali community in the Assembly... The fact that I have been elected CM thrice itself is testimony to the inclusive politics that Rajasthan has,” Mr. Gehlot said.
“People of Rajasthan will vote for harmony and against attempts to incite people on the basis of caste and religion. This time, it is about the mali model of good governance.”
From a unique and expansive universal healthcare guarantee to subsidised cooking gas, an innovative security net for gig workers, and free mobile phones with connections for 40 lakh women, the list of schemes launched by the Rajasthan government is long.
It was the distress among the vulnerable sections of the State during the COVID-19 lockdown that set Mr. Gehlot, who identifies himself as a Gandhian, on a new welfare course even as the BJP accused him of splurging public funds.
“The money belongs to people and we are using it for the welfare of the people,” Mr. Gehlot said, underscoring his equal attention to expanding the economy. “We are supporting tourism, a key sector of our economy, agriculture and manufacturing.”
The Congress strategists are hoping for the consolidation of three key social constituencies behind it — the backward classes, women, and youth.
Measures to alleviate the impact of inflation, such as cheaper cooking gas, could mobilise women for the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Jaipur this week also specially addressed women voters.
Rajasthan’s population is very young — 70% are below 35. The promotion of English education and the Rajiv Gandhi Rural and Urban Olympic Games that gives sporting opportunities are the party’s routes to young minds.
Mr. Gehlot wears his loyalty to the Gandhi family on his sleeve — a key flyover in Jaipur is named after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
BJP a formidable force
Welfare schemes and the apparent absence of anti-incumbency against Mr. Gehlot are factors that work in favour of the Congress. The party has also managed to assuage Sachin Pilot, creating a united front. But the BJP remains a formidable force in the State, party strategists concede. The BJP is not projecting a leader, at least not yet, and there will be a scramble in the party for the top slot in the event of a victory.
Former Chief Minister Vasundhare Raje Scindia is feeling sidelined and hurt. However, the Congress does not think that it is going to be a determinant in the polls.
“The BJP has a strong network of RSS workers and social groups that are loyal to the ideology, regardless of the leaders. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is popular,” a party strategist, who did not want to be named, told The Hindu.
If the election turns out to be a close one, individual candidates could decide the fate of both parties. The Congress MLAs are facing strong anti-incumbency, though the Chief Minister is not — a trend that was visible in several States in recent elections — according to the party’s feedback from the ground. This leaves the party in a dilemma.
Replacing a large number of MLAs and fielding fresh faces is one option that the Congress is considering but that is not without a negative fallout. The party MLAs might face anti-incumbency, but they also command loyalty among the workers. Replacing an optimal number of MLAs with fresh faces without turning the apple cart is the challenge. To do this, Mr. Gehlot may have to don his magician’s cap.
