One Take | Pulled Down By MLAs, Can Ashok Gehlot Rise from the Ashes to Win Do-or-Die Battle for His ‘Asmita’? – News18

As the seven vans or raths rolled out with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot flagging them, it’s the Congress’s — but more importantly the CM’s — chance to beat the cyclical pattern and come back to power.

Beneath it is a subtle complaint which has begun, similar to the one in 2018 when this slogan became popular — “Modi tumse bair naheen, Vasundhara tumhari khair naheen (PM Modi, we have no issues with you but we won’t spare Vasundhara Raje).”

The slogan has been modified now to “Gehlot tumse bair naheen, vidhayak tumhari khair naheen”. Simply put, it means that as I hit the ground, I did notice in many areas — including capital Jaipur — that while there seemed to be a desire for change, in many cases, the anger was more with the sitting ministers and MLAs than the chief minister.

But this is what Gehlot could have perhaps changed. Instead, most of his sitting MLAs and ministers have been given tickets. One compulsion on his part was the promise he made when the ‘rebellion’ took place. He had told the MLAs then that if they backed him, and not Sachin Pilot, he would ensure their tickets were safe. It’s time to fulfil this promise which is why many of the MLAs, who are facing strong anti-incumbency, have been repeated.

The fact that Shanti Dhariwal got a ticket from Kota (North) despite Pilot’s demand that he should face disciplinary action for not turning up for the CLP meeting two years ago that could have changed things shows that Gehlot has had his way. However, there is no complete control as Mahesh Joshi, who too had rebelled against the CLP and is close to the chief minister, has been denied a ticket.

There is a clear change in the Congress’s strategy in the state. While the Grand Old Party is aware that change is in the air, in politics, one never knows. Hence, the Congress, while trying to stay away from the trap of naming or projecting a chief ministerial face, knows that Gehlot is their best bet. So, the campaign is show him as someone who is on his own, taking the party along on his own.

As News18 travelled along the state, we found that the situation has one similarity with Madhya Pradesh. The BJP wants to cut the anti-incumbency against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by sending out a message subtly that he may not be the CM if the party wins. But with his ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ gaining traction, BJP has begun to speak about it openly and the undercurrent is to not rule out Mamaji yet.

Gehlot faces the same situation. The Congress has to look ahead. Five years ago, Gehlot was chosen over Pilot to become the chief minister as the party felt the former, with his hold on MLAs, could help it in the Lok Sabha. It didn’t, but that’s no reason why Congress wants to give up on him yet.

The Congress is also looking to win some seats in 2024 from the desert state. Gehlot knows this is a do-or-die poll for him. It’s not just about winning the state; it’s about showing that he matters and is a force. His calculation also is that the more cases are filed against his son Vaibhav, the more sympathy he will try to extract and show to the people that he is under siege—first from Pilot, and now from BJP.

Gehlot is fighting an almost lonely battle, just like Pilot. But this battle is for his ‘Asmita’ (pride). The only drawback is that Gehlot’s MLAs may pull him down in a scenario where they are unpopular. So, will this bring the Rajasthan chief minister down or will it be his big fight?