'CMs not elected on basis of castes': Gehlot's outreach to communities. Watch
Rajasthan is among the few states where the Congress is in power currently.
With Rajasthan set to vote in 2023 in the assembly polls, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot can already be seen putting efforts to ensure a strong connect with the electorate. From counting the achievements of his government during the last four years to stressing that there is no "anti-incumbency" wave, the Congress leader is trying hard to catch the pulse of the prospective voters for next year.
On Monday, he made an outreach to all the communities in his address as he said "chief ministers are not elected on the basis of castes". "Today, I am the chief minister. I want to serve every community - whether it's Jat, Gujar, Brahmin, Baniyas. Chief Ministers are not elected on the basis of castes," he is heard saying at the event in a video he shared on Twitter.
"If I did not have the blessings of all... how would I have become the chief minister thrice. From my community, which is Kushwaha, there is only one MLA... which is me," he further said. "I feel very lucky to have been chosen. I was a minister with former Prime Ministers - Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Narsimha Rao. I have been trusted so much because the support of people is with me."
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, he further said, "We want to help the last man in the line like Gandhi said. Good governance is my responsibility."
Rajasthan is one of the many states which are due to vote next year. It is also among the few states where the Congress
is in power currently, so securing Rajasthan for a consecutive term will be critical for the grand old party.
But internal differences - which have become public over time - have hurt the party's image, and have also drawn criticism from the rivals. Whether or not Gehlot's rift with his former deputy Sachin Pilot has been detrimental to the grand old party's grip will be seen the next year.
