‘Cong will win K’taka, and then retain Raj’
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to Sachin Saini on the campaign trail in Karnataka about infighting in the state Congress unit, the party’s prospects in the assembly elections in the southern state and in Rajasthan later this year, and the Bajrang Dal controversy after the Congress released its manifesto ahead of the May 10 polls. Edited excerpts:
In Karnataka, the Congress appears to be following in Rajasthan footstep on some fronts – be it the old pension scheme or Right to Health. Will these help the party?
The 40% commission allegation (on CM Basavaraj Bommai) is being talked in every household. Everyone, be it states or the Centre should implement right to health and right to social security.
You have talked in the past about the Congress forming government in Karnataka, but won’t the infighting affect the prospects?
Here you are pointing at two persons (reference to former CM Siddaramaiah and state party chief DK Shivakumar) but in the BJP, it’s six people – not just here, even in Rajasthan. There were fights in ticket distribution. Those involved in horse-trading and toppling government in Karnataka were given tickets by the BJP.
The Congress manifesto in Karnataka talks about a ban on the Bajrang Dal. What’s your take on it?
Bajrang Dal is not the only one mentioned in the manifesto. PFI and other organisations have also been talked about. But the BJP is publicising it like an attack on just one. Apart from this, a line has been written in the manifesto, “according to the law”. Now the Supreme Court has said if police do not take action in hate speech cases, it will be considered as contempt of court. Then the whole country should understand this.
You have maintained that after Karnataka, Congress will win in Rajasthan. What is this confidence based on?
I got a survey done, which is showing that party government is repeating. Wherever I am going, the response given by youth, women and seniors are extraordinary – this shows that people’s mood is in favour of the party.
There is said to be infighting in Rajasthan Congress (with reference to Sachin Pilot). Do you still maintain there is a conspiracy to topple the Rajasthan government?
When a conspiracy happens… it happens quietly. You all know who the conspirators are. We know one thing, that public supported us, the MLAs stood unitedly. The MLAs were getting calls that don’t let the government topple, even if you have to stay inside hotels for six months. It is not that I saved the government, but the public and unity of the MLAs did.
You hinted at a performance-based cabinet shuffle.
Is it being considered?
Only the party high command can answer this. There are many things on my mind... they (MLAs) saved my government. Elections are coming, there is a question of their future, but I think, “how to make them win”. As soon as I came out of Jaisalmer, I said “forget and forgive”. Had everyone understood my point, the situation would have been different. The CM keeps changing; it’s decided by the high command. But I will to say that the Congress will again form government in Rajasthan.
The BJP is alleging that you stopped their schemes. What do you have to say?
I should blame them. Not one, but many of my schemes were stopped by the BJP as soon as they came to power. Compensation to affected people in Kedarnath disaster, Jaipur Metro, Ambedkar Law University, Haridev Joshi University, Milk Producer Sambal Yojana, and Rajasthan International Center. All these schemes ... were stopped by the BJP.
In your 50 years in politics, you have seen Congress’s peak. How do you see the present scenario?
In democracy, a government keeps changing. It was the Congress’s sacrifices and the way [the Independence] agitation went on, it made a history by way of freedom in 1947. The people remembered the sacrifice of Congress, and our government was formed in states and the Centre. If the fight had been on ideology, principal and policies, the Congress government (at the Centre) would not have changed. Under a conspiracy, a scenario was created over 2G, Lok Pal and “coal gate”, and UPA government was removed.