Jaipur. Showing her pink and yellow benefit card, Sunita Sirvi of Garnia village of Pali, Rajasthan thanks Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and says that the budget of my household has improved. Rajasthan government has started many schemes for us. Now hoardings, posters with the face of CM Ashok Gehlot have been put up in all the cities of the state. In view of the assembly elections, posters on poles, buses, walls, e-rickshaws and other places have promised subsidized electricity, LPG cylinders, medical insurance and pension.
Sunita Sirvi says that ‘I pay Rs 1,100 for a gas cylinder, but due to the subsidy,(subsidy) now Rs 550 has been returned to my account. At the same time, my electricity bill has reduced due to free 100 units. Even for taking care of my cattle, I get money from the government. There are many such women in the state who are keeping their point like this. In Dausa’s Nagal village, Pravat Meena says that he is getting the benefit of the government’s pension scheme, while Koli with him says that hospitalization is no longer a financial concern.
When does the burden fall on the exchequer
Meena says that whenever the poor, the marginalized or the farmers benefit; Every now and then it is argued that this will put a burden on the state exchequer. She asks if the government does not help the industrialists? Is there no economic implication when big people get subsidy? People in Rajasthan say that the Gehlot government is starting schemes only so that it can deal with the anti-incumbency wave. In this, 100 units of free electricity, health insurance of Rs 25 lakh, Rs 500 for LPG cylinder, urban job guarantee are some of the schemes that have been announced. However, allegations of corruption, lack of security for poor women and infighting within the Congress may prove painful for the government.
‘Honest students have no future’, youth expressed displeasure
During the conversation with the youth in Rajasthan, the mention of ‘paper leak’ often comes up. Lokendra Singh Bati of Jodhpur’s Jai Narayan Vyas University (JNVU) says that I come from a family where higher education is not easy. The family mortgages whatever they have to send the child to coaching classes. Year after year we prepare for competitive exams and then the paper gets leaked. One more year we have lost our faith in the system. Those who have money buy exam papers, while deserving youth are left in limbo.
Whenever the student has spoken… the throne has been shaken
Sachin Purohit said that Ashok Gehlot’s defeat will be certain in the upcoming elections. Commerce students say, “Jab jab chhatra bola hai… Raj gaddi dola hai.” Mamta, a nursing student from Jalore, also agrees. She says just because I don’t have money to buy exam paper I can’t get a government job? This has happened many times in this government. Ritu of Udaipur could not agree more with this. She can say that I have a B.Ed degree. Still, I am forced to run this small grocery shop because the government is not doing its job properly. Honest students have no future in Rajasthan. According to the state government’s own data, since the Congress government came to power in 2018, 10 papers of state recruitment exams have been leaked. This issue was also raised by Congress party leader Sachin Pilot. Although this issue was rejected by the National President of the Congress Party, Mallikarjun Kharge.
Infighting: ‘We only trust the pilot’
The Congress party seems to have forgotten the differences between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and adopted the policy of ‘forget and forgive’. But Pilot’s supporters Gurjars are neither ready to forgive nor are they in a mood to forget. Rajesh Gurjar, a property dealer in Rajsamand, asks that from Kota to Bharatpur, the entire eastern Rajasthan was a BJP bastion. Pilot took it to the Congress. Why was he not made the CM?
This time we don’t trust Congress
In Dausa, the home ground of Sachin Pilot, people have said that ‘this time we will not trust the Congress’. They have stabbed us in the back. Residents of Bawanpara village say that the families who are still unhappy will not support the Congress. This village is near Sikandra, where 21 people were killed during the Gujjar agitation of 2008. Although Renu Devi says that Sachin Pilot is trusted. He is the son of Rajesh Pilot – who did a lot of work for this area.
‘…then the Congress car can overturn’
Political analysts say that if 4 percent Gujjar votes unite in this area, then the Congress car can turn around. For this reason Gehlot is trying to woo other castes. On the other side of the road from Sikandra is the Gardeners’ Dhani. In this village, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is revered as the person who brought ‘pride’ to the country. But ask the residents of the village whether the BJP will be their choice in the coming elections, and there are conflicting views.
Modi is our choice for Lok Sabha, but in Rajasthan…
Sahjanath says, ‘Ashok Gehlot has given us pension… He is doing a good job for Rajasthan. but for the Lok Sabha