On completion of three years in office, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has a list of ambitious schemes launched by the Congress government in the state. Though Mr Gehlot expressed confidence that the Congress would repeat
its success in the next Assembly elections, his detractors said incidents like Gopalgarh and the Bhanwari case will cost the government. The Opposition BJP has described his government as a total failure.
Enjoying the image of a Gandhia, the soft-spoken Mr Gehlot assumed power on December 13, 2008 while the Congress was short of numbers to form government. “Our government has fulfilled most of the promises made by us during the election,” a jubilant Mr Gehlot said while addressing party workers in Jaipur. Despite fighting on several fronts, including managing support in the Assembly and facing strong opposition inside and outside his party, his government launched ambitious schemes, like free medicine for all in government hospitals.
The state government had set up over 13,000 centres to distribute free medicines across the state. “The scheme is a big relief for the poor and old but it still has a distribution problem,” said Om Parkash, a retired man in Jaipur. The state Congress chief, Dr Chandarbhan, said the Congress government has come up with several pro-people schemes. “It is time party workers move out into the field and highlight the features of such ambitious schemes,” said Dr Chandarbhan.
The three-year-old Gehlot government faced its worst crisis when the CM and his ministers were busy visiting different districts and highlighting elements of the free medicine scheme. Riots broke out in Gopalgarh and claimed 10 lives. It took the state government two months to pacify the agitated minority groups. “We note the state government had introduced several schemes for the betterment of the minorities. It is good the government set up girls’ hostels exclusively for Muslim girls,” said Nasir Naz ,a Muslim from Losal, a small town in the desert region.
The ruling Congress has released a list of achievements and a brochure detailing the steps taken by the government. On the other hand, the Opposition BJP has also released a booklet listing what it said were the failures of the Gehlot government.” The government failed to deliver things, it is a weak government that annoyed all section of the society,” claimed state BJP president Arun Chaturvedi.
The state BJP chief said people were waiting for elections and the Congress would be thrown out of power. Mr Gehlot faced a tough time when he assumed power in the state and agitating Gujjars came onto the streets. “It was the same battle ground, same community and highways and rail links, but Mr Gehlot managed the peace,” said Mr Dhar, adding that during the previous regime the Gujjar agitation had claimed over 70 lives.
“‘Under Congress rule, the state suffered a lot in every sphere. “We lost pace in development while the previous BJP government performed so well on all fronts,” said Mr Chaturvedi. The Opposition also levelled charges of corruption against Mr Gehlot. “If any allegation proved ,i will not stay in power for a moment and resign immediately, said Mr Gehlot while addressing his party workers at the PCC Monday in Jaipur.
He said his government would ensure there should not be a single ‘kacha house” left in the state and people have a pucca [cemented] house for them. “‘We have launched a Rs 3,400-crore Mukhya Mantri Grmain Awas Yojna to provide shelter to the people,” Mr Gehlot said