All eyes are set on the Gujarat assembly polls. While BJP hopes to repeat history Congress is all set to create history. The Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has taken charge of mission Gujarat and his aide for the task is the former chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot. Gehlot is an expert of strategy His inherent abilities have created a situation where he is now the eyes and ears of the Congress. Close interactions have changed equations with Rahul Gandhi and Gehlot is all set to write a new political plot in Gujarat.
Guj responsibility for Gehlot
The Congress experience with Madhusudan Mistry for the last assembly elections could not deliver what the Congress desired. For over a year the war room set up at 10 Janpath and Rakabganj Road in Delhi was witness to serious deliberations about who should be sent to the land of the Mahatma to bring desired results for the party. After serious consideration the choice was Ashok Gehlot, who is also called the Gandhi of Marwar. Gehlot is a committed Congressman and enjoys the trust of Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi. He too accepted Gujarat responsibility as a challenge.
Why was Gehlot Chosen
The Congress had several reasons for choosing Gehlot to look after the party’s electoral interests in Gujarat; a state that is considered the laboratory for BJP and RSS. Gehlot, who has been a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family, was sent to Gujarat to draw a strategy to bring the party back to power. He also curated the Navsrajan Yatra for Rahul Gandhi. But it is believed that he had first sent a confidential report on the leaders who were damaging the party from within. It was Gehlot’s strategy that brought about Shankar Singh Vaghela’s exit from the party just before Rajya Sabha polls, what ensued was a big morale booster for Ahmad Patel. Gehlot had a gameplan while drawing the roadmap for Rahul’s yatra.
Some of his effective plans
To bring about a soft Hindutva model and ask Rahul to move on this. Acting on this model, Rahul Gandhi started his yatra from Dwarka
During the Saurashtra phase on 9, 10, 11 October, Rahul climbed a thousand steps to pay obeisance at the Chotila Mata Temple, and also worshipped family deity of the Patels. The second phase of the yatra was also based on this model.
While Gehlot took Rahul to Patel dominated areas in the first phase of the yatra, the second phase was through areas dominated by the tribals and schedule tribes.Gehlot coined the slogan “Vikas pagal ho gaya hai” and promoted this as a popular brand. He organised kisan chaupals and even held direct communication with the unemployed youth. Gehlot is the one who has been instrumental in strategising concerted attack on Amit Shah’s son.
This strategy was made along with Ahmad Patel. He also maintained continuous contact with Hardik Patel. Confidently speaking about the shortcomings of ones own party is also part of the Gehlot strategy.
Gehlot has been a shadow of Rahul Gandhi all through the Gujarat yatra. The two are in each other’s company for over 14 out of total 24 hours in a day. Their day that stretches from 8 am to 11 pm; is made up of padyatra, political strategising, public contact, meeting party workers, are but some of the issues that are packed into any given day. A different style of carefree style of election campaign by the duo is visible for all to see. Gehlot is not just in the role of a navigator for Rahul’s yatra, he appears to be in the role of an elder.
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