How to match and contain the last-leg high pitch campaign of the BJP is the biggest worry among the Congress leaders and workers in Rajasthan during this election. Though the party believes the anti-incumbency against Vasundhara Raje government is giving a definite edge for it in the polls, it is apprehensive about the well-oiled booth level mechanism of its opponent, the BJP. The party is well aware that BJP is much ahead of them in men and resources.

The speeches by senior leader and one of the contenders for thechief minister’s post, CP Joshi, is a clear indication of what the Congress thinks. Addressing a crowd of party supporters Sema village near Nathdwara, Joshi asks the party workers to be careful about the “fake news”. “One should know how to use the mobile phones wisely. It is being used to spread fake news. Many of our people fell for it in 2014,” the former psychology professor told the crowd. He also explained the necessity of meeting people and asking them to come and vote for the Congress on December 7.

On communal forces

Talking to BusinessLine, Joshi said the BJP may unleash a communal campaign towards the end. He recounted that Rajsamand witnessed one of a gruesome hate crime of the recent past when Shambhulal Regar killed a Muslim labourer Mohammed Afzul. “Communal forces have even offered him a Lok Sabha ticket. They will use such issues to polarise the electorate in the last-leg of the campaign. See how channels are debating the Mandir issue. They will remember about temples when elections come,” Joshi said.

The Congress thinks that there is “double anti-incumbency” in Rajasthan. “The tug of war between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is very apparent. Raje believes it’s because of her that BJP got so many seats in Rajasthan in 2013 and 2014. There is an ego problem between both of them,” Joshi said. Many people in the constituency want him as Chief Minister. But Joshi cleared the air and said Congress has a tradition that it will fight the election under the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president. “After the election, the MLAs select the Chief Minister. In 1998, We fought the election under Ashok Gehlot who was then the PCC president. There were many senior leaders, but Gehlot was elected as CM. In 2008, I was PCC chief, but Gehlot was made CM. We never decide the CM first, though there are some aberrations,” he said. In 2008, Joshi lost for a single vote in Nathdwara, which he represented since 1980 for four occasions. He is coming back to the constituency, his hometown, after a gap of 10 years. “It is a refreshing experience for me. In the last 10 years I learned a lot by working from Delhi. I can use that experience now in Nathdwara,” he adds.

“I interact with the young generation to identity their aspirations. Employment is not a solution. We will have to do massive skill enhancement. We will have to address farmers’ issues,” Joshi said and added that loan waiver will be a priority for the Congress as it is a commitment made by party president Rahul Gandhi.

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