Interview/ Ashok Gehlot, former Rajasthan chief minister
TO HIS CREDIT, Ashok Gehlot put up a spirited fight in the assembly elections a few months ago, as the Congress almost matched the BJP in vote share (39.79 per cent against 41.7 per cent) but fell behind in the number of seats won (70 against 115). He still has not fully comprehended the loss though, as he attributed it to “sorcery”. But he has moved on, and is again all set to take the bull by its horns in the dusty, sandy stretches of Rajasthan. In an exclusive interview, Gehlot talks about how the Congress plans to turn its fortunes around in the state. Excerpts:
Q/ What led to the Congress’s defeat in the assembly elections; you were confident that your welfare schemes would pull you through?
A/ Jadoo ho gaya (It was sorcery). We did everything to attend to the needs of the common people and they benefited from the schemes. But destiny sometimes has something else for you.
Q/ What makes you think you can turn around the party’s fortunes in the state in the Lok Sabha elections?
A/ People have understood how the BJP distorts truth and spreads lies. They can also see the difference we made to their lives through our schemes, which have either been discontinued or tweaked to the disadvantage of the beneficiaries. Our medical insurance for treatment up to Rs25 lakh in any hospital, for instance, has been discontinued by the BJP government.
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Q/ How do you hope to get your party to break the 2014 and 2019 jinx?
A/ I am aware that it is not a level-playing field any longer. Thanks to the Supreme Court, the BJP’s scam in the name of electoral bonds stands exposed . But they are resorting to all kinds of dirty tactics like the blatant use of government agencies like the ED and CBI to serve the ruling party’s agenda. But I can see that people can see through the BJP game, its communal and divisive politics, and its dictatorial attitude that is damaging the fundamental democratic fabric of the country. Above all, what gives me hope and confidence is the commitment of my party workers.
Q/ What were the popular policies of the Gehlot government that would make people vote for the Congress now?
A/ We did a lot on the education front. Opened 3,700 English medium schools named after Mahatma Gandhi. Education is totally free in these schools and they have all facilities that you normally get in expensive private schools. But I am told the Bhajan Lal Sharma government is going to convert these schools into Hindi medium. They do not seem to understand the need for learning English in the world of information technology. And we should not forget that even Babasaheb Ambedkar went to the UK to learn English. We also opened 300 new colleges where education is free. Besides, we started a special scheme to give full scholarship to 500 students every year for education in the best foreign universities. This scheme has been slashed by the new government. Also we gave jobs to more than three lakh youth over a span of four years.