As polling kicked off for the Rajasthan Assembly Elections, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot delivered a final appeal to voters, urging them to overlook any mistakes and use their votes with the state’s interests in mind. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Gehlot emphasized that his government’s welfare schemes could only continue if the Congress retained power, warning that the BJP might discontinue them if elected.
“I want to appeal to people that ignore if a mistake has happened and vote while keeping the state’s interest in mind. We have also introduced several schemes keeping the state’s welfare in mind that can only strengthen if the government gets repeated. But if they (BJP) come to power, those schemes will be stopped…We want to strengthen our existing schemes and want to fulfill the guarantees that are given this time. Our agenda is clear,” Gehlot stated.
Expressing confidence in the party’s victory, Gehlot affirmed, “The government will be repeated this time, it is sure. Right now, the mood of the people is to repeat the government. In Kerala, for 70 years, Congress and CPI(M) used to come to power alternately, but this time the CPI(M) government was repeated because they did good work. If we look at the mood of the people, it is understandable that they have liked our governance and schemes.”
Addressing allegations of attempts by the BJP to destabilize state governments, Gehlot dismissed the notion that Congress MLAs were corrupt, citing the unsuccessful attempts in states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Regarding the post-election Chief Ministerial position, Gehlot deferred to the party’s high command, highlighting the party’s disciplined approach.
In response to the election campaign seemingly turning into a face-off between PM Modi and Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister suggested that the Prime Minister may harbor disappointment over the unsuccessful attempts to topple the Rajasthan government, unlike in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
As the state geared up for voting, preparations were reported to be complete. A total of 5,26,90,146 voters will determine the fate of candidates across 51,890 polling stations in the assembly constituencies. With 1,70,99,334 young voters in the 18-30 age group, including 22,61,008 new voters aged 18-19, polling is scheduled for 199 out of 200 constituencies from 7 am to 6 pm. The counting of votes is set for December 3.
