2023 Assembly election: Congress banking on welfare schemes to buck anti-incumbency trend in Rajasthan 

Rajasthan's ruling Congress hopes to counter anti-incumbency with welfare schemes. BJP faces factionalism, no CM face, and allegations of corruption. Congress' outreach includes 'Mission-2030', 'Kaam Kiya Hai Dil Se', inflation relief camps, caste survey, Old Pension Scheme, Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. BJP focuses on Modi's popularity, 'lotus of change', and good governance.

The ruling Congress in Rajasthan expects to counter anti-incumbency in the November 23 Assembly election with its outreach to people through various flagship welfare schemes. The desert State, which has had a pattern of voting out incumbent governments over the past two decades, is set to witness a battle of wits in the run-up to the polls.

The Opposition BJP, on the other hand, faces the challenge of dealing with factionalism. Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje seems to have been completely sidelined in the party. It has also decided to fight the election without projecting a Chief Ministerial face, which may adversely affect its appeal to the electorate.

With the deployment of the new welfare agenda, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has obtained suggestions from people for the government’s ‘Mission-2030’, which has set the target of bringing Rajasthan to the front row of developed States in the next seven years. On Monday, Mr. Gehlot appealed to voters, after the dates for the election were announced, to make a contribution to the cause.

“We have worked tirelessly during the last five years to serve the people. The historic schemes of bachat, raahat, badhat (savings, relief, growth), which were implemented in far-off villages and hamlets, have ensured the development of Rajasthan at fourfold speed,” Mr. Gehlot said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The ruling party has floated the slogan, ‘Kaam Kiya Hai Dil Se, Congress Phir Se (We have worked from the heart, Congress once again)’ for the polls. It has also succeeded in putting up a united face by resolving the differences between Mr. Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, with the latter actively joining the election campaign and attending the meetings of poll-related committees.

The mehngai raahat or inflation relief camps, being organised across the State since April 24 this year, have seen lakhs of people register themselves to draw the benefits of as many as 10 public welfare schemes and the distribution of colourful Labharthi guarantee cards. The schemes include Chiranjeevi health insurance, employment guarantee in urban areas, LPG cylinders at ₹500, smartphones for women, and social security allowance.

Just before the enforcement of the model code of conduct, the government has ordered a caste survey on the lines of the one conducted in Bihar to find out the socio-economic status of different sections of society and formulate targeted welfare schemes for them. The survey, to be conducted with the government’s own resources, is going to be a major poll plank.