The BJP encashed the alleged massive corruption in the welfare schemes launched by Gehlot and people trusted Modi’s guarantee
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready to return to power in Rajasthan and in the elections held on 199 seats, BJP has won 114 seats and Congress 70 seats.
But this is evident from the fact that the difference between the two parties appears so big. This marks a continuation of a three-decade-old trend of voters in the desert state changing governments every five years.
This marks a major turnaround in the fortunes of the party, which was divided into factions and was struggling to counter the welfarist agenda of the Ashok Gehlot-led government. To win in Rajasthan, the BJP targeted the Gehlot welfare model and ensured victory by controlling the internal strife in the party.
The only hindrance was the lack of unity in its organisation and the Rajasthan unit was mired in infighting.
Rani Basundhara proceeded step by step to convince Raje and bring unity to the party and addressed the leadership issue by fighting as a unit and without announcing any chief ministerial face.
Modi's guarantee card
Modi had previously mocked the growing Revadi or 'freebie' culture in Indian politics, mocking the Congress' guarantee in Karnataka and even speaking on the issue in Parliament. However, several surveys conducted by the BJP found that people were voting based on day-to-day economic issues and that the Congress' promised welfare schemes in Himachal and Karnataka were key factors in its victory.
Thus, the BJP went to the polls armed with a number of welfare schemes, both existing schemes – such as Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna scheme, which was announced in March this year – and the annual financial assistance for women in Chhattisgarh in the manifesto. As promises were made. Also many concessions for youth and farmers. The Prime Minister also used his personal credibility by offering the 'Modi Guarantee' to differentiate BJP's welfare schemes from those of Congress.
There was the issue of recruitment exam paper leak, which was used by BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to target the youth constituency. Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena and the state leadership held several protests on the issue. Earlier this year, when Meena was on hunger strike, Bashundhara Raje had also given her support to him.
The BJP brought together these issues, from paper leaks to crimes against women to unemployment, during a street protest in September – 'Nahi Sahega Rajasthan' – to craft a unified script and capitalise on the anti-incumbency wave. Can be picked up. Since Rajasthan has a mental tendency to elect a different government every five years, the BJP's only real fear was a welfare scheme-based loss by Gehlot at the last moment, but the CM lost that advantage too by retaining most of its sitting MLAs. , which became a boon for the BJP. To turn the indecision of Gurjars in Bjp's favour.
In 2018, the Gujjar community was seen supporting the Congress and rallied with the Meenas to make then-state chief Sachin Pilot the chief minister.
Eight Gujjar candidates of the Congress won, giving the party a total of 25 seats in East Rajasthan. The BJP was reduced to three seats in the region, with the remaining seats going to independents and the BSP, which later supported the Congress.
This time, the BJP had been working on a multi-pronged plan for some time to win back the Gujjar votes, as evidenced by Prime Minister Modi's attempt to capitalise on Congress's attempt to humiliate Rajesh and Sachin Pilot at rally after rally. This not only brought many Gujjar leaders into the organisation but also kept the issue of Pilot's "insult" alive in the Gujjar belt to draw community voters away from the Congress. State BJP leaders acted at Modi's behest, for example, Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuriya, a two-time MP from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, said Pilot had "no chance of becoming chief minister because Gehlot would never allow it".
(Writer is a senior journalist; views are personal)