Rajasthan CM Gehlot Blames Modi's Stubbornness For BJP's Defeats In Karnataka, Himachal

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "stubbornness" led to the BJP's defeat in the Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka assembly elections and that the party was set to lose in more states. Addressing the 'Labharthi Utsav' programme, he claimed that said Modi was advised by then chief minister of Himachal Pradesh to adopt the old pension system for government employees, but he "remained adamant".

Restoration of the old pension system was one of the main promises made by the Congress in the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. "The BJP tasted defeat in the recent polls (in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka) due to the stubborn nature of the prime minister. There is no place for stubbornness in a democracy," Gehlot said.

He also urged the prime minister to examine the Right to Health Bill, 2022, passed by the Congress government in Rajasthan. "I would like to tell the prime minister that you should not make it a question of reputation. The prime minister is stubborn. He does what he feels like," the Rajasthan chief minister claimed.

Gehlot said that in democracy, one has to bow before the voters because "it is the vote which makes one win elections". Targeting the BJP, the Rajasthan chief minister said the opposition party has nothing to say against his government because of the development works done by it. Bankruptcy is not just lack of money, one can also be intellectually bankrupt, he said, targetting the BJP.

Asserting that no government should discontinue schemes of its predecessor, Gehlot said his government did not stop the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project 
initiated by the Vasundhara Raje government. He demanded national project status for Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project so that it can complete in soon. Gehlot also said that he expected that Prime Minister Modi would confer national project status to the project during the latter's visit to Ajmer, but that did not happen.

Claiming that the schemes launched by the government were not "election-oriented announcements" but were meant to be in implementation for a long time. During the 'Labharthi Utsav', benefits under the 'Indira Gandhi Gas Cylinder Subsidy' scheme were transferred to the ban accounts of 14 lakh registered beneficiary families. Under this scheme, launched on April 1, as many as 76 lakh families will be provided gas cylinders for Rs 500.