15 Days To Go For Rajasthan Polling Day, Rahul Gandhi Yet To Canvass In State

One month has passed since the announcement of the election schedule in Rajasthan, and with roughly two weeks remaining until the vote on 25 November, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has not yet conducted a rally in the state.

Following Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul ranks third among the Congress's star campaigners for Rajasthan.

Party leaders have reportedly indicated that Rahul, alongside Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kharge, plans to intensify his focus on Rajasthan after Diwali, organising several rallies.

However, his current absence is stirring some discussions.

Since the declaration of the election dates on 9 October, Kharge has conducted two rallies: one in Baran on 16 October, associated with the party's significant Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) initiative, and another in Jodhpur on November 6, coinciding with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's nomination filing.

Priyanka has also led two rallies, in Dausa on October 20 and Jhunjhunu on October 25.

Rahul's most recent activity in Rajasthan was a party workers' meeting in Jaipur on September 23, attended by Kharge, preceded by an 9 August 9 rally at Mangarh Dham.

Sukjinder Singh Randhawa, the Congress's state-in-charge, explained that Rahul has been focusing on states where elections are occurring before Rajasthan.

While Mizoram and Chhattisgarh's first phase voted on November 7, and the second phase for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is scheduled for 17 November, Telangana, where Rahul has been active, will vote five days post-Rajasthan, on 30 November.

There's speculation among party members that the Congress perceives greater winning prospects in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, thus prioritising these regions.

Rahul himself has reinforced this belief, stating in a Delhi event in September, "Right now, we are probably winning in Telangana, we are certainly winning Madhya Pradesh, we are certainly winning Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan, we are very close, and we think we will be able to win", Indian Express reported.

Congress leaders reportedly acknowledge that this lukewarm confidence in a Rajasthan victory is not ideal.

Despite the state's 30-year history of voting out incumbents, the Congress initially had strong aspirations to change this trend, considering the internal divisions in the BJP.

However, as the elections approach, the BJP appears to be consolidating its efforts.

In recent weeks, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been the prominent Gandhi family member actively participating in the Congress campaign. Known for her close ties with Sachin Pilot, the ex-deputy chief minister of Congress, Priyanka has consistently highlighted his contributions to the party during her appearances.

Out of her three rallies since September, two were held in areas strongly associated with Pilot. Notably, during Pilot's rebellion in 2020, the initial sign of resolving the internal conflict featured Priyanka alongside Pilot and other dissenters.

Despite the support and his endeavors, Pilot remains somewhat sidelined in this election, overshadowed by his adversary Gehlot, who has steered the Congress campaign to centre around himself.

Gehlot even conducted a press conference at the Delhi headquarters, implying his reluctance to relinquish the Chief Minister role if Congress wins.

Intriguingly, Pilot was absent from the inauguration of the party's ERCP campaign by Kharge in Baran, a region significant to the Gujjar community, of which Pilot is a prominent leader. The stated reason for his absence was a Territorial Army examination.

Rahul's absence is reportedly partially linked to the ongoing conflict between Gehlot and Pilot. Rahul's faction has not fully come to terms with Gehlot's defiance of the party's high command last year, which allowed him to retain his position as Chief Minister and exclude Pilot.

Among the three leaders and Gehlot loyalists who were issued notices by the party over this issue, only Shanti Dhariwal received a ticket.

Cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi was not selected, while Dhariwal made it onto the final list.

In terms of candidate selection, Gehlot largely prevailed, securing the re-nomination of 89 incumbent MLAs, despite suggestions to replace them to counter anti-incumbency.

Additionally, the Congress's campaign in Rajasthan hasn't been progressing as planned. The ERCP Yatra didn't elicit the expected response, leading to the suspension of the 'Congress Guarantee Yatra' just a day after its launch.

Although this decision was influenced by negative feedback, party leaders officially state that the yatra will recommence post-Diwali, with Rahul and other senior leaders participating to boost momentum as the voting day nears.

Randhawa said that the top three campaigners, Kharge, Priyanka, and Rahul, will actively campaign in the state from the 14 to 23 November.

Yet, there's a growing concern among party leaders that the perception of Congress writing off Rajasthan as a lost cause is taking hold. This perception could be behind Rahul's apparent lack of enthusiasm.

BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bhardwaj said, “How will Rahul Gandhi face the people of Rajasthan? The promises he made in Rajasthan ahead of the last elections, on waiving farm loans, not increasing electricity bills, buying new buses, etc… not a single one of those promises has been fulfilled. So probably the Congress itself doesn’t want him to come to Rajasthan as he was the party’s face then.”

He added: “And it doesn’t matter whether Rahul Gandhi comes to Rajasthan or not, as there is nothing left for the Congress here. They won’t get enough seats to elect even a Leader of the Opposition.”