'Congress has good chance of bucking anti-incumbency in Rajasthan'

Gourav Gogoi, who heads the AICC Screening Committee for Rajasthan, told ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri that as the public mood has changed dramatically over the past few months. "I think we have a very good chance of beating the anti-incumbency trend in the state and be able to win all the 200 seats," he said.

New Delhi: The Congress has a very good chance of retaining power in Rajasthan as the public mood has changed dramatically over the past months, senior party leader Gourav Gogoi said on Thursday.

“The Congress has a very good chance of winning Rajasthan. The public mood has changed dramatically over the past few months. I think we have a very good chance of beating the anti-incumbency trend in the state and be able to win all the 200 seats,” Lok Sabha deputy leader Gourav Gogoi, who heads the AICC Screening Committee for Rajasthan, told this channel.

Gogoi was referring to the popular trend in Rajasthan that the voters change the ruling party every five years. Recently the Congress had said that the party would come out with the first list of candidates in September to have an early bird advantage.

“Well, that issue is being actively discussed within the party. I won’t say we have set a target but we want to start the preparations early. Therefore, I will be in Jaipur from August 28 to 31 to review the assembly seats. I would travel to Udaipur for a day,” he said. According to Gogoi, ticket distribution in Rajasthan will be crucial this time as it will send a message to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as well.

“Together, the polls in the three states are being seen as a semi-final before the 2024 national elections. Winnability will be our sole criterion for selecting potential candidates in Rajasthan. I will be looking at the strengths and weaknesses of all the seats as each seat is unique. We will have detailed discussions on each seat. I will also be guided by the experience of senior leaders like the chief minister, state unit chief and others in this attempt,” he said.

The Congress leader further noted that while the party was confident in Rajasthan, it was treading with caution. “In an election, nothing can be taken for granted. We have to work till the last day. The BJP misuses the central agencies and no institution is autonomous. Though the public mood is in our favour, we need to be watchful,” said Gogoi.

The Congress leader said that after his four-day visit to Rajasthan, the party would set out a calendar of announcing the nominees in the state. The high command had been concerned over the power tussle between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot for long but recently both Rahul and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge were able to bring the two rivals together and had asked them to work as a team for the assembly polls likely to be held later this year.

Kharge decided not to tinker with the state leadership but made Pilot a member of the Congress Working Committee to balance the power equation in Rajasthan and send a positive signal among the supporters of the young leader. “Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra, which passed through the state last year, had been successful in terms of public response and we hope that after the Karnataka victory, the Congress would also be able to retain power in Rajasthan,” said Gogoi.