Gehlot announces ‘Mission 156’, says Cong. will win because of govt.’s work

Declaration comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Asind village in Bhilwara district on January 28 to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Lord Devnarayan, worshipped by the Gujjar community to which Sachin Pilot belongs

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the Congress would come back to power in the Assembly election due in December this year as a result of his government’s “diligent work” on all fronts. The party has set a target of winning 156 out of 200 seats, its tally in 1998 [when he became CM for the first time], he said.

“The Congress returned to power in 2018, and even in 2008, because the people remembered the performance of our previous dispensation and realised their mistake [of voting for BJP] within six months of the formation of the BJP governments,” Mr. Gehlot told reporters after the State-level Republic Day function at Sawai Man Singh Stadium here.

The Chief Minister’s remarks were apparently targeted at his former deputy Sachin Pilot, who had recently said that Congress, reduced to 21 seats in 2013, returned to power because of the efforts of the party leaders and workers between 2013 and 2018 when he was the Pradesh Congress Committee president. In a series of ‘Kisan Sammelans’ held at several places, Mr. Pilot, who represents Tonk constituency in the Assembly, had also called for giving opportunity to the younger generation of leaders.

Without naming Mr. Pilot, who unsuccessfully rebelled against him in 2020, Mr. Gehlot said the Congress was defeated in 2013 because of the “Modi wave” and dissatisfaction among the government employees. “But an atmosphere was created before the 2018 election that Congress should come back and Ashok Gehlot must become the CM... This was the people’s voice,” he said.

Making an explicit reference to the political crisis of 2020, Mr. Gehlot said his government was saved only because of the ruling party MLAs supporting him and defeating the game plan of BJP, which had tried to topple the government with horse-trading. “In 2023, there is no resentment among the electorate, no displeasure with the government and no palpable Modi wave,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot’s declaration of “Mission 156” also came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Asind village in Bhilwara district on January 28 to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Lord Devnarayan, worshipped by the Gujjar community to which Mr. Pilot belongs.

Earlier, Governor Kalraj Mishra unfurled the national flag at the function and inspected the parade after the national anthem. Folk artistes and school students presented cultural performances on the occasion. Besides Mr. Gehlot, Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi and other dignitaries were present.