Tonk (Rajasthan) [India]: Weighing in on the party’s prospects in the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister, Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said while the desert state has historically never voted back the incumbent, the mood and pulse of the people were in favour of the return of the grand old party on November 25.
Speaking to media in the Tonk district, a week after filing his nomination, the former deputy chief minister said, “While historically, the government here changes every five years, I sense that the mood this time in favour of the Congress getting a fresh term at the hustings.”
Gung ho on the party’s chances of repeating its 2018 performance, Pilot said, “From the kind of response I am getting from party workers, people and fellow candidates, it seems that the public mood and pulse is in favour of the Congress. People want to see us form the government again in Rajasthan.”
“The people aren’t really looking at a change of guard at the hustings. They prefer the return of the Congress,” Pilot added.
The Congress has set its hopes on the state bucking the anti-incumbency trend and voting it back.
Recalling his recent visit to a constituency in Jabalpur, the former deputy CM said, “People have already made up their minds to bring the Congress back to power.”
“In fact, the sense that I am getting from the ground is that the people are looking at an alternative at the Centre. I am confident that the Congress will form a government in all five poll-bound states,” the Congress leader added.
“However, we have to see how many seats we get in these states. The BJP has been ruling Madhya Pradesh for a long time now. People are looking for a change of government in the state. Our guarantees are finding with the people,” Pilot added.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced several welfare schemes in the run-up to the polls and the ruling party, which had to negotiate a truce amid the festering feud between Pilot and CM Gehlot, is also projecting a united front ahead of the November 25 polls.
Amid concerns over the prevailing law and order situation in the state, he said the government ensured the registration of FIRs in cases of ‘violence’ against women.
“The government is acting swiftly on the reports of violence or sexual abuse on women as compared to BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,” Pilot said.
In the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member house.
Gehlot eventually took the oath of office with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.
The counting of votes for Rajasthan and four other states will take place on December 3.
