JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s criticism of the Congress’s civic poll strategy has brought the party’s internal differences back into focus. Gehlot questioned whether a more aggressive campaign could have helped the Congress, and why a large number of voters chose Independents.
Gehlot said the Pradesh Congress Committee should have planned roadshows and a stronger campaign against Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and other senior BJP leaders.
Had there been proper planning, I believe the anti-government sentiment would have benefited the Congress. We could have won more seats,” he said. Gehlot also pointed to the party’s ‘Sangathan Srijan’ programme, saying that despite the organisational network created through it, the large number of independent victories raised questions for the Congress.
The remarks come as the BJP and Congress remain closely matched in vote share across Rajasthan’s 309 urban local bodies. The BJP won 4,179 of the 10,235 declared wards, compared with 3,613 for the Congress and 2,273 for Independents. The BJP pulled 35.18% of the vote, against 34.24% for the Congress, a gap of just 0.94 percentage points.
The strong showing by Independents has also complicated the formation of civic boards, with several bodies producing no clear majority and leaving Independents in a decisive position. Gehlot’s comments have been viewed within the party as criticism of the state leadership. Party sources say Gehlot and his supporters, including former minister Shanti Dhariwal, had limited roles in poll strategy and ticket distribution, while Dotasara and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully were central to the campaign.
The question of the party’s internal balance had surfaced earlier in June, when Rahul Gandhi publicly praised the coordination between Dotasara and Jully during his visit to Pushkar. Gandhi described their working relationship as a model for other state units. The latest comments also come against the backdrop of tensions following former minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya’s return to the Congress.