Since Ashok Gehlot resumed the office of chief minister, he seems to be on a spree of making ‘pro people’ announcements keeping ‘Mission 25’ in his mind. Gehlot has committed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to win more than 20 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan to help party increase its tally.
Gehlot is confident to win 20 seats relying on two factors. First is farmers loan waiver announcement, with which he addressed lakhs of farmers across the state. It was a manifesto promise which he fulfilled within two days of resuming office. Second big announcement that Gehlot delivered is unemployment allowances to educated youths.
Congress believes that farmers and youths gave their wholehearted supported to the party in the Assembly elections resulting in its victory. And, so it is once again the time to appease both the sections so that the party does not lose their trust in crucial parliamentary elections in which Congress sees fair chances of return to power at the Centre.
Therefore, Gehlot is not leaving any stone unturned to make populist announcements. After loan waiver and allowances to unemployed youths the Gehlot government has started working on 10 per cent quota for EBC (economic weaker castes) and a bill related to this is likely to be tabled in the coming Budget session of the Assembly that may begin in second week of February. Modi government has already passed a bill in this context from Parliament with constitutional amendments.
Gehlot government would table its first vote of account (budget) in the session and it may consist major announcements and sops for the public. Another poll plank on which Gehlot is working upon is ‘guaranteed minimum income’ to the people of Rajasthan that could be a game changer if it materialises before the Lok Sabha elections. He has already announced that he has started working on the idea conceptualised by Rahul Gandhi.
Gehlot government after getting a booster during Ramgarh Assembly by-election would like to bring in all populist schemes in the state at the time of Lok Sabha polls.
It would be interesting to see if people get influenced by the state government’s populist measures or Modi government’s 2019 ‘populist’ interim budget tabled in the parliament on Friday. Lok Sabha elections means election of the prime minister, hence the mood of people may or may not be ‘influenced’ by the works of Gehlot government in state.
However, Gehlot government is confident and hopes to win maximum seats despite a ‘moderate’ victory in Assembly polls.
