Just recently, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal issued a statement saying that it was wrong to say the Grand Old Party was giving up the fight in Rajasthan. He said all seniors of the party, like president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Gandhis, would be around to campaign for the candidates in the fray.
The BJP is very hopeful of forming the government in the desert state but the Congress is convinced that with its many schemes and seven guarantees, the path to victory would be easy. However, noting that the saffron party is unleashing its star power like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda, and Union minister Smriti Irani among others, the Congress does not want to lag behind.
There are a few messages that Rahul Gandhi’s stay in Jaipur could convey to the party cadre. One, Rajasthan is not a lost cause. It’s a lesson that Congress is trying to learn from the BJP that no battle must be given up.
Also, there is listlessness and some anger among voters with sitting MLAs who have been given a ticket. With its high-powered drive, the Congress plans to counter this by bringing in new faces to campaign in those areas where sitting MLAs are facing anti-incumbency.
More importantly, even though Sonia Gandhi is in Jaipur for health reasons, her mere presence in the capital could infuse some power in the cadre. Across the state, there are several hoardings of Sonia Gandhi with chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
And finally, the Congress hopes the presence of Rahul Gandhi will also counter the perception that the BJP pushes of the former party president being a reticent, seasonal politician.
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