Jaipur : Senior Congress leaders held individual meetings with party MLAs from Udaipur, Kota and Bharatpur divisions on Tuesday to get their feedback on government schemes and other issues ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly polls due later this year.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and state president Govind Singh Dotasra interacted with the MLAs in the party’s new office in Jaipur.
Party sources said MLAs from Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Rajsamand, Kota, Baran, Bundi, Jhalawar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli and Sawaimadhopur districts held meetings with the three leaders. Cooperatives Minister Udayalal Anjana, Water Resources Minister Mahendrajit Singh Malviya also participated in it.
Later, Pratapgarh MLA Ramlal Meena told reporters, “Chief Minister Gehlot has left no stone unturned in his work. The wave is in favour of Congress, there is no anti-incumbency wave. The Congress government will be formed for the fourth time as well.” Dungarpur MLA Ganesh Ghoghra said Gehlot has taken care of all sections of society in Rajasthan.
He has given such a budget that the general public is happy, Ghoghra said.
“I am with Ashok Gehlot and will always stand by him,” said independent MLA Ramila Khadia.
However, Congress MLA from Pipalda Ramnarayan Meena cornered his own government.
“It is true that some ministers are deep in corruption. It is a weakness or compulsion of the chief minister that he is not able to remove such ministers, but this is a minus point for us. The rest of the Congress is strong. Voters want Congress. If the weakness is removed then Congress can come to power (again),” he told reporters.
Gehlot shared photos on Twitter of the MLAs who took part in the meeting.
“Savings, relief, progress… facilities till now. Rajasthan will become the top state only by providing social security to every village and every city. The important ideas received (from the MLAs) for the dissemination of the schemes will definitely speed up this campaign,” the chief minister said.
On Wednesday, a one-day workshop has been organised in which party MLAs, MPs and other office-bearers will participate.
On Thursday, the individual meetings will resume with the MLAs of Bikaner and Jaipur divisions, a party spokesperson said.
The chief minister has said necessary suggestions were received regarding ‘Mission 2030’ to make Rajasthan the number 1 state by then.
Assembly elections are to be held in Rajasthan by the end of this year and the ruling Congress has started preparations for that with this exercise, which began on Monday.
While Congress leaders say the objective is to get feedback from the MLAs about their constituency, it has come days after senior party leader Sachin Pilot sat on a day-long fast alleging inaction by the Gehlot government into allegations of corruption during the previous BJP rule.
Pilot, who has been involved in a leadership tussle with Gehlot, renewed his demand on Monday, saying, “It’s been a week now but no action has been taken”.
The Tonk MLA skipped his interaction with party leaders on Monday and instead addressed two scheduled public meetings in Shahpura (Jaipur) and Khetri (Jhunjhunu). Tonk comes under the Ajmer division.