In a fiery address in poll-bound Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi escalated his criticism of the Congress party and accused the Ashok Gehlot-led government of engaging in corrupt practices within the state. Speaking at a gathering in Chittorgarh, PM Modi took aim at the Congress for its internal divisions at the state level and alleged that Chief Minister Gehlot was preoccupied with safeguarding his position as a significant portion of the party was focused on destabilizing his government.
“Here in Rajasthan, Gehlot ji was primarily concerned with preserving the Chief Minister’s chair, while half of the Congress was occupied with attempts to unseat him,” PM Modi remarked.
In reference to Gehlot’s recent statement seeking assurance from PM Modi that the schemes initiated by the Congress government would not be discontinued if the BJP came to power, the Prime Minister asserted that Gehlot himself acknowledged that his government would not retain power. “Gehlot ji himself knows he will step down from the Chief Minister post, which is why he has already extended congratulations to the BJP. You can see what he has been saying lately: that once the BJP assumes power, his schemes should continue,” PM Modi stated in Chittorgarh.
Modi noted that although the Congress had managed to form the Rajasthan government through deceptive tactics, it had been unable to govern effectively. He added, “The public was left to fend for itself as Congress engaged in internal conflicts, and the only thing they seemed united in was the exploitation of Rajasthan.”
Against the backdrop of the ongoing Cauvery water dispute involving Congress-led Karnataka and DMK-led Tamil Nadu, Modi expressed his strong attachment to Rajasthan and emphasized that he had supplied water to the state during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. “Today, disputes over water are occurring in other states, with one state refusing to provide water to another. When I served as Chief Minister of Gujarat, I supplied water to Rajasthan without any legal disputes,” he stated.
Highlighting the issue of paper leaks during the five-year tenure of the Ashok Gehlot government, PM Modi assured the youth of Rajasthan that if a BJP government was elected in the state, those responsible for paper leaks would face punishment.
The Rajasthan legislative assembly elections, featuring 200 seats, are slated to occur later this year. The Congress is striving to alter the historical pattern of alternating governments between the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan, while the BJP asserts its confidence in securing victory.
Since 1993, Rajasthan has witnessed a rotation of power between the Congress and the BJP. Congress leader Sachin Pilot has expressed confidence that this pattern will change in the upcoming 2023 assembly elections, with the Congress emerging victorious and forming the government.
