Rajasthan Polls: BJP Had Little Hope But That Too Dashed, Says Congress

On Monday, the Congress took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he is completely “distraught and out of frustration he is hurling lie after lie as the BJP has little hope of winning in Rajasthan; all hope has been dashed due to seven guarantees and work of the Congress in the last five years”.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, “One thing is worth noting in this election season. There are elections in five states but when the Prime Minister is coming to Rajasthan, he has to tell a lot of lies. Here, statements after statements are being made.”

Ramesh said that in the remaining four states, BJP is not in the fight at all while in Rajasthan they (BJP) have little hope because of the tradition of the previous decades.

Ramesh added, “…  but all the public welfare schemes of the Congress government, including Chiranjeevi and our seven guarantees, have dashed their hopes here too. We are going among the people on the basis of our work. We have fulfilled our promises and people are directly getting the benefits of our schemes.”

He said that after looking at the track record of last five years of fulfilling promises, people have started to trust the seven guarantees of Congress. Ramesh said that the public welfare schemes launched by the Rajasthan government are giving relief to the people of the state from ‘Modi-made inflation’.

“People from every section are with us. This is why the Prime Minister is completely distraught. Out of frustration and despair he is hurling lie after lie. But the people of Rajasthan are not going to be misled by his words. People have made up their mind to give Congress another chance,” the Congress leader said.

Ramesh’s remarks came after earlier in the day, Modi guaranteed the people of Rajasthan that prices of petrol and diesel will be reviewed to provide relief to the poor and middle class people, if the BJP is voted into power in the western state.

The Prime Minister had said, “I give a guarantee that after the BJP government is formed, the prices of petrol and diesel will be reviewed… This will give relief to the poor and middle-class people.”

Election for the 200-member assembly is scheduled for 25 November and counting of votes will take place on 3 December. Rajasthan has a tradition of alternate party governments for the last three decades; the Congress is eyeing a second consecutive term in the border state.

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Ashok Gehlot, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara and party leader Sachin Pilot, along with others, launched the party’s election manifesto for Rajasthan Assembly elections to be held on November 25, in Jaipur today, November 21.

The party has promised up to Rs. 2 lakh interest-free loan for farmers, a law to guarantee MSP as per the Swaminathan report, a caste census in the state, and an increase in the amount of ‘Chiranjeevi Health Protection Insurance’ among others.

The BJP already released its manifesto on November 16, which features several welfare schemes for women, youth and students.