Has Gehlot penned a masterstroke for repeat of his govt in Rajasthan?

New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot may be well on his way to changing the alternating pattern of government selection by the people of Rajasthan. The Congress is looking positively towards a return to power in the desert state as a masterstroke by Gehlot takes effect.

The recent creation of 17 new districts in the desert state is being termed as a strategic genius by the Congress’ strongman that is being seen by the party as a historic game changer.

It will be a tough fight for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan as the Congress may have strategically outwitted the saffron unit in the border state.

Just months ahead of crucial Assembly polls in Rajasthan, CM Gehlot may have enacted his masterstroke to retain power in Rajasthan. The state has a history of alternating between Congress and BJP in the Assembly polls, and the move is being touted as the one that will alter this 5-yearly periodic change.

It is believed that the move to create smaller administrative units is finding resonance amongst the common people, who are elated at the arrival of government and governance at their doorsteps.

The creation of these new administrative units has ensured a property boom, possible infrastructure development and the creation of more government jobs in the newly created districts. This is expected to further boost the acceptance ratio of Congress’ Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot amongst voters.

This move has single-handedly changed the narrative war and moved it towards one that the Congress aims at fulfilling local aspirations and making government available at the doorstep. This move also ensures that people do not have to visit district headquarters located 100-odd kilometres away.

This is in stark contrast with the deteriorating law and order narrative that the BJP has been trying to establish over the past several months.

The Gehlot government recently carved out 17 new districts and redrew the two large urban districts – Jaipur and Jodhpur. This will take the number of districts in Rajasthan from 33 to 50. The previously consolidated districts– Jaipur and Jodhpur would now be divided into Jaipur Rural and Jodhpur Rural.

Interestingly, Gehlot ensured all these positives for the Congress while preventing his old nemesis and former deputy Sachin Pilot from making any political gains in the state.

BJP on a sticky wicket?

The BJP has a herculean task ahead in Rajasthan. The inability of its central leadership to put a leash on former chief minister Vasundhara Raje is expected to play spoilsport for the saffron unit in the forthcoming Assembly polls in the states, just like it did in 2018.

In fact, the factionalism in the saffron unit’s state leadership was one of the major reasons that the party’s Parivartan Yatras are being held individually in regions by various leaders. There has been a deliberate attempt to prevent overlapping of these yatra routes, sources said.

The BJP’s central leadership knows that it was saffron rebels that had ensured its defeat in 2018 and the party is trying hard to ensure that a repeat of this scenario is avoided at all costs.

Due to the prevailing factionalism, the BJP is not confident of securing a majority in the Assembly polls scheduled for later this year. Another loss in the country’s geographically biggest state will adversely affect the morale of the BJP workers who will need to take on the Congress in Lok Sabha polls in less than a year.

Rajasthan is an important state on the national political map and political parties including Congress, BJP, AAP and BSP are aiming to secure votes and seats here ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP-Rashtriya Loktantrik Party alliance had secured all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2019.

This completely reversed the 2018 Assembly polls outcome as the BJP was only able to secure 75 seats out of 200, losing the crucial state to the Congress which was able to secure 99 seats. The BJP had also successfully secured all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in the 2014 general elections.

However, after the administrative units rejig and implementation of several subsidy programs by the Gehlot government, the task of securing a victory in Rajasthan has become a tough one for the BJP.