The poll campaigning for two states – Jharkhand and Maharashtra at their peak. Senior party leaders from both – Congress and the BJP are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. Meanwhile, seven assembly seats are also going to the bypolls in Rajasthan – Dausa, Dungarpur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Tonk, Nagaur and Salumbar. While the BJP is campaigning with all its might in the Rajasthan bypolls, the state Congress unit is facing a peculiar situation.
The party insiders have alleged indifference from the Congress High Command toward the Rajasthan unit. They argued that the Rajasthan unit has been left on its own to manage the bypolls. “Why isn’t Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, in-charge of Rajasthan, actively involved in these elections? Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot have been given significant responsibilities in Maharashtra, and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully seems focused only on the Ramgarh seat. State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra is left standing alone, waving the party flag,” a leader, who didn’t wish to be named, told Zee News TV.
Other party leaders also rued the lack of financial support saying that the Rajasthan Congress unit has not been given any funds, leading to a lack of effective campaign. They claimed that the lack of resources is having a major impact on the by-elections.
“No prominent leader has visited the Chauraasi and Salumber seats, leaving the campaign to local leaders. In Jhunjhunu, serious questions are being raised about the party’s strategy as Muslim voters have openly expressed their discontent, but no steps have been taken to address this issue. Meanwhile, in Khinwsar, even the Congress MLA from Nagaur has distanced himself, and in Dausa, the Congress is relying solely on the ‘Pilot magic’,” said the leader.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are busy in Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections while Priyanka Gandhi is busy in Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls from where she has made a political debut. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra is leading the party’s campaign in Khimsar on Saturday. The seven seats will go to the polls on November 13 and the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
