November 18, 2019
I have always done politics of principles
The government machinery was not misused. Have you set a target for yourself or
would like to predict the number of seats?The BJP’s target of 180 seats includes
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, but they won’t
get that much seats collectively. I am very confident no matter what spin they
put on this they can’t stop the Congress from coming to power.What is your
interpretation of the high court judgment on the Gaurav Yatra?
The high court has
done the right thing by not allowing Vasundharaji to claim political dividends
with taxpayers’ money. Vasundharaji issued written orders to officials for
arrangements even after the high court issued notices. The BJP will have to pay
for the ills; the false promises they made. It is our endeavour to give tickets
to fresh, young, clean and educated people and those who have toiled hard in
adverse conditions in the last four years. But I am not looking at her negatives
only to win this election. We wouldn’t have won 20 out of 22 Assembly seats in
byelections in four years but for a sustained campaign.
It was okay for them to
go as Opposition and campaign against the state government in Karnataka to try
and get anti-incumbency vote, but here they have to pay for the follies of
Vasundharaji. Opponents should be answered in a political lingo but by calling
names you are only showing what stuff you are made of.But the Congress also
undertook a Sandesh Yatra when Ashok Gehlot was chief minister in 2013?Yes he
did, but not a single rupee of government funds was spent on it. It is a totally
desperate initiative to pat her back using taxpayers’ money. The best person
will get the ticket based on feedback and consultation. People are giving
overwhelming support; lakhs of them are coming at their own expense. So our good
things could not be communicated but the negative aspects of Vasundharaji are
very well communicated. One can give speeches and jumlas, but the economy is
hurt, job loss and farmers distress are rampant.Vasundharaji has called you a
novice in politics?
How do you react to that?I do not want to make any personal
comments, as she is much older than me.What about ticket distribution? Is it not
going to be a headache to pacify so many aspirants?I am glad and heartened that
so many people want to contest because they feel that the Congress is going to
win. The BJP targeted 150 in Gujarat but got stuck at 99. They can try and make
it personality-based and event-based, but you can’t erase the five years of
agony that people have suffered.But the Congress has a history of faltering at
the last moment. The point is that we must criticise in a responsible way; we
must demonstrate keeping the civility in mind and pressure the government
without creating problems for the common man.Senior Congress leaders have blamed
inability to ineffective publicity of the UPA government’s achievements for the
2014 debacle.
Vasundharaji was forced to withdraw the "gag order†and power
tariff hike. It was apolitical, which we did not try to camouflage and spent
government money on it. On the other hand, we are doing "Sankalp Yatraâ€.We are a
party that believes in law and order.But the general perception is that the
Congress has been unable to evoke and tap the public anger on inflation, rising
fuel prices, job loss and agrarian distress, etc. Rajasthan ke log jaante hain
isko. Bina paise diye kaam nahi hota.
We must maintain a level of debate and
dignity of discourse as people are watching us. She said the same thing about me
in the byelection in Ajmer and got a befitting reply from the people. People
vote on ideology, agenda, programmes and policies and that is exactly what is
going to happen in these three states. It is not right to say we are not
effective. Despite only 44 MPs, we failed Modiji’s attempt to dilute the Land
Acquisition Act eight times.In an interview to Sanjay Bohra, Mr Pilot says the
BJP can deploy any trick but won’t be able to erase five years of agony that the
people have suffered. I am also looking at the positive aspects.. We have
clearly said one need not run around and lobby to leaders. This is a healthy
sign for the party. They cannot get away for all the misgovernance, corruption
and malpractices she has overseen. They can deploy any trick but will not be
able to get away from the responsibility of running the state and the damage she
has done. Today Congress workers feel connected and motivated at the grassroots
level. I do not want to give a target. And even now the young people of
Rajasthan will pay back with interest for making personal comments.The BJP has
set a target of 180 seats. They are angry, upset and disappointed for betraying
their mandate. Daily eight to 10 rapes take place despite there being a woman
CM.
We must have reached the people multiple times covering every Assembly
segment at least three times through Kisan Nyay Yatra, Mera Booth Mera Gaurav
and now Sankalp Yatra. Sachin Pilot wholesale electric tap
Former Union minister and PCC chief Sachin Pilot infused life into a comatose
party that suffered the worst-ever defeat in its electoral history five years
ago. Chandrashekar Rao said something about Rahulji which was unbecoming of a
man occupying a CM’s post. Whatever protests we did, we never took a route to
create anarchy in the state.Will you be able to sustain the momentum after
getting off to an early start?People don’t get impressed by last-minute
campaigning anymore. This is a blatant misuse of public trust and money. We are
taking a resolve that farmers will not commit suicide, youngsters will actually
get jobs and the resolve that this corrupt and autocratic government has to be
thrown out of Rajasthan. So the high court very rightly delineated the two.
People are very smart these days whether we have been able to tap public anger
or not you will know when voting will take place. Technology, mobile and social
media, it is now self-pervasive. Times change and things evolve.
What will be
your chances if the BJP once again makes it a personal contest between Narendra
Modi and Rahul Gandhi?People want issue-based politics. She is forcing the
administration and police to ferry people at taxpayers’ expense to listen to her
but the people have disregarded her. So we have kept the government on its toes
from 2014 onwards. Excerpts from the interview:How do you compare your Sankalp
Yatra with chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra?"Gauravâ€
means pride, but there is no "gaurav†in her yatra. Gujarat, Karnataka and in
Rajasthan too Mr Gehlot cautioned about 1993, when the party belied
expectations?We can always go back and look at 10, 15 and 20 years, but we have
to look ahead. It was a slap in the face of the BJP government. A sustained
effort over the years really develops the goodwill of the party in the hearts
and minds of the people. That will be paid back. Doesn’t that problem still
persist? Who is to be blamed for poor leadership, communication skills or weak
organisation?The world has changed. And we said that we will give good quality
education and good jobs to everybody or easy credit on easy terms to youngsters
and third is monthly allowance of up to Rs 3,500 to deserving families.
I have
always done politics of principles. She should not only deposit the money back
into the government coffers whatever has been spent so far, but she must also
apologise for this open loot. Crores have been spent in the garb of "Gaurav
Yatraâ€.Pilot says the BJP can deploy any trick but won’t be able to erase five
years of agony that the people have suffered. I do not take people’s mandate for
granted but I know that the last four years of our hard work will see us get a
majority that we perhaps haven’t got thus far. Telangana chief minister K. If
petrol is selling for `80 per litre, it needs no communication; 150 farmers
committed suicide in Rajasthan and the whole world knows it. Vasundharaji has
done the same thing. We in the Congress are evolving a blueprint for the future
in various sectors — investment, education, job creation, sanitation and
healthcare
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