JAIPUR: Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot has launched a sharp attack on the Bhajanlal Sharma-led government through a social media series titled 'Intezar Shastra' (The Science of Waiting). The former Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot aims to highlight what he calls stalled public-welfare projects under the current BJP regime in the desert state.
The first instalment of the series, released on Monday evening, alleged that the momentum of schemes initiated during the previous Congress government has been deliberately halted. Gehlot claimed this has not only escalated project costs but also deprived citizens of their rightful benefits.
In his inaugural post, Gehlot raised concerns over the future of Rajasthan’s youth, stating that the government’s "politics of delay" is adversely affecting their aspirations. He specifically cited the case of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Governance and Social Sciences (MIGSS) in Jaipur. According to Gehlot, the foundation of the institute was laid in 2022 during his tenure, inspired by premier institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and MIT Pune, to promote education in governance and public policy among Rajasthan’s youth.
Targeting the state government, Gehlot said the institute, located on JLN Marg in Jaipur and built at a cost of Rs 233 crore, was fully completed by 2024 but is yet to be inaugurated. He alleged that the delay is politically motivated, as the project was conceived by the previous Congress government. Calling it an act of “political malice,” Gehlot urged that such “temples of learning” be kept above partisan considerations.
Reacting sharply, the BJP rubbishes Gehlot's campaign, which it claims is an outrageous attempt to mislead the public. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said that the former Gehlot government was so inefficient and kept the public waiting to get any relief in the entire state.
"Paper leak in all government recruitment examinations made employment elusive for youngsters, similarly, despite the promises to farmers, (they) had to wait for years to get any relief (from farm debts). All that happened was that MLAs were locked up in hotels to save the Gehlot government, and people had to wait to even meet their public representatives. Leave alone any work getting done."
Jogaram also claimed that the Bhajanlal government has done historic works to give relief to the people of the state, and Gehlot is trying to gather public attention through this misleading campaign. He advised the former CM that he should refrain himself from making such false attempts to attack the government.
Political observers view the ‘Intezar shastra’ series as a strategic move by Gehlot to challenge the BJP government led by first-time MLA turned CM Bhajanlal Sharma. Some observers also see it as an attempt for reinforcing his own relevance within the Congress at a time when other young Congress leaders, such as former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, party state president Govind Singh Dotasra, and Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully are maintaining their active presence in state politics.
Observers suggest that Gehlot plans to release subsequent "chapters" of ‘Intezar Shastra’ at regular intervals, focusing on various stalled projects under the current government. By foregrounding youth and education in the opening instalment, he appears to be directly appealing to the state’s student community while attempting to reclaim political space in Rajasthan’s evolving opposition landscape.