Having survived challenges to his government from inside the party and outside, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has entered the last lap before the Assembly elections scheduled later this year. His budget, released Friday, was his last chance to pitch his government against the BJP's mighty challenge. The fact that the central leadership continues to rely on him, despite his defiance of them on the matter of Sachin Pilot, shows his clout. He talks about his budget, why he sees what Centre calls “revdi” essential for social security, and also takes on questions on Rahul Gandhi, and the future of the Congress and Opposition. Excerpts: Does your please-all budget have an eye on next year's Assembly elections? Gehlot: All my past budgets have been like this. There was a similar mood last year too. We have extended and expanded all those schemes. There was big hype around the budget. advertisements in newspapers, hoardings in big cities. 14,000 educational institutions were asked to screen your speech live. Gehlot: We did it deliberately because of past experience. The schemes announced in the budget take five-six months to reach the people. Then you have to advertise, talk about it. Instead of that, if the people get to hear directly, they will adopt fast. There will be pressure on bureaucrats too because they know the people are aware of the schemes. So they would implement the schemes fast. You have announced so many sops in an election year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticising freebies, calling it revdi culture etc. Gehlot: There is no spirit of revdi in my budget. Price rise, the impact of Corona, unemployment. these are all realities. We have given the people relief in the name of social security. My main focus was education, health and social security. Why did we restore the OPS (Old Pension Scheme)? There is criticism of that too. But now the Adani issue is in the news, after that report (the Hindenburg Report) came out, his stocks crashed. The LIC and SBI have exposure to his companies. The NPS (New Pension Scheme) is dependent on the stock market, its money is invested in mutual funds and the market. How can we let employees be dependent on stock market uncertainties? The OPS is a security. With the OPS in place, the country has made progress. If the employees remain insecure about their future, it will also lead to corruption. But now the employee knows that the government will be with him post his retirement, he won’t indulge in corruption. I see the announcements from a social security point of view. While the NPS was rolled out by the Vajpayee government, the UPA government during the 10 years when it was in power took it forward. Gehlot: But if we realise with experience that people are feeling insecure, and it has become an issue, should we not address it? We addressed it. Rajasthan has among the highest debt to GSDP ratios. So how is it economically sustainable to implement such populist schemes? Gehlot: The Central government has changed the ratio in Centrally sponsored schemes. It was 90:10, 80:20, 60:40, now it is almost 50:50. They say the funds will go to banks. Even in the Jal Jeevan Mission, the money goes directly to the banks. And the most dangerous thing they have said now is that even in Centrally sponsored schemes, states should roll out pilot projects using their funds first. I am not saying this is being done only in Congress or Opposition-ruled states, but the state's finances are impacted. And there are many ways to ensure that BJP-ruled states remain comfortable, we cannot do the same. As far as sustainability is concerned, we cannot take loans breaching the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act) limit. But Rajasthan has registered the highest GSDP growth after Andhra Pradesh. 11.04%, up from 3.02% when the BJP was in power in Rajasthan. We are comfortably placed in terms of fiscal and revenue parameters. Will you urge the Centre too to restore the OPS? Gehlot: I have told him (PM Modi). More than that, I want to tell the Prime Minister that, the world over, workers are provided financial security. We also give various pensions, other countries also give, but there are rules governing that in other countries. We are talking about becoming vishwaguru, shouldn’t the employees of our country feel secure? We are giving pensions to one crore people, spending Rs 9,000 crore. The Central government’s share is at best Rs 300 crore. This approach should change. The UPA government had enacted several right-based legislations. On that pattern, the Central government should bring a Social Security Act, so that there is uniformity in disbursement of pensions across the country, which can be increased as and when prices rise. You (the Central government) decide the ratio. We are the only state with near universal insurance coverage. We have increased it to Rs 25 lakh. The BJP attacked you after you read out portions from your previous budget speech while addressing the Assembly. Even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned this in Parliament. Gehlot: It was a human error, I only read out two paragraphs. It was a small issue. Entire Rajasthan was listening to my speech, the BJP knew, they were disturbed, so they created a ruckus. Politically, what will be the Congress’s plank for the elections? Gehlot: Bachat, raahat, badat (Savings, relief, progress). the budget’s motto will be our plank. Our schemes will help people save money, we have given relief to them in terms of 100 units of free power and cut in prices of gas cylinders, and the state will also progress. Rajasthan tends to alternate between Congress and BJP governments. Gehlot: This time, we will buck that trend. Even after four years, when I tour the state, the love the people give, the trust they repose in us, the response I am getting - there was an extraordinary response when Rahul Gandhi’s yatra passed through Rajasthan. We are confident of changing the trend (of alternate governments). What will be the impact of the turmoil in the party? Gehlot: There is no turmoil. There is peace. Everybody is working together. You are saying this despite what happened in September 2022. Even a CLP meeting called by the high command, ostensibly to select a new CM, could not be held. Gehlot: Whatever I had to say, I have said. Rahul Gandhi has said all of us are assets to the party. I don’t want to say more. The Congress had raised the Rafale issue in a big way. But it did not help the party electorally. Now the party is aggressively attacking the government on the allegations against the Adani Group. Gehlot: Unfortunately, the media is not playing its role. Without the support of the fourth estate, the Opposition parties cannot put pressure on the government on any issue. That is why this government, Modiji, they don't give answers to questions, both inside and outside Parliament. He talks about democracy all the time. I would like to ask the Prime Minister, is it not his responsibility to satisfy the Opposition parties and the country when an issue like this has come up? Rightly or wrongly, there is an issue. He should answer, give his side. Apni baat kaho, khulke kaho, ki koi galti nahi hui hai (Say what you have to say, say it frankly, say there has been no irregularity if that is the case). Place your arguments. It is not about the Opposition. When Opposition parties raise the issue in Parliament, you don't answer them, you don't answer the country. How long can you shy away? The BJP counters the attack on Adani by taking your name, that the Adani Group has huge investments in Rajasthan. Gehlot: Rahul Gandhi himself has answered that question. When there is an investment summit, be it in Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh, Ambani, Adani all of them come. All the big industrialists come and MoUs are signed. When the Congress alleges there is proximity between the PM and Adani, the BJP uses the photograph of the Rajasthan investment summit where you and Adani sat side by side. Can you convince the people then? Gehlot: Whatever Rahul Gandhi has said, is the correct perspective. Why would any state say no to an industrialist when he comes forward to make investments in that state? Rahul Gandhi has said that the Congress is not against corporates or businesses, but that the issue is about preferential treatment or crony capitalism. There is no such controversy in Rajasthan. Is the Congress in a position to take on the BJP in 2024? Gehlot: Whatever the issue, the entire Opposition is united. You never know about the mood of the public. there is still time. I saw it during Indira Gandhi’s time, in 1977. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time too, the talk was about India Shining and Feel Good, nobody believed the Vajpayee government could lose. But he lost. The country is witness to that. The robust common sense of the people of this country is extraordinary, they may be illiterate but their common sense is unmatched. Have you seen any change in Rahul Gandhi as a leader? Gehlot: He has changed completely. He has said it himself. Naye Rahul aa gaya hain (A new Rahul has emerged). He is full of confidence. Rahul Gandhi is an intellectual but people could not understand him. I worked with him in Gujarat, he is an extraordinary person. But his image was tarnished using social media through a conspiracy. I will use the word conspiracy. But the people, by coming out in large numbers during his yatra, have given a tight slap on the face of the people who conspired to tarnish his image. Should the party declare him as the PM candidate? Modi versus Rahul. Gehlot: The Congress is a pan-Indian party, a true national party. It is in every village. The BJP is now in power, but there was a time when it had only two seats (in Parliament). So don’t go by the number of seats, when the people decide, anything can happen. The country has accepted that Modji ke saamne Rahul Gandhi hai (that it's only Rahul opposite Modi), whether one accepts it or not. All our respected leaders (from other parties), I have respect for all of them. But the reality is that the Congress is the only national party, and it has a wonderful leader. After the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a jan nayak (people's leader). So naturally he will be so, gradually. The issues are the same for all (parties). Leave aside Adani, there are issues of non-violence, price rise, unemployment. Pradhan Mantri bolne main chatur hai, toh chaturai kab tak chalegi unki (The PM is a glib talker, but how long can that last)? Gradually, people are feeling the pinch. That is a fact. How are your ties with the Prime Minister as a Chief Minister? Are you upset that you were not invited for the inauguration of the first leg of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway which passes through Rajasthan? Gehlot: They should have invited the Chief Minister in a proper way. I expected (Nitin) Gadkariji to invite me, he takes care of chief ministers. But he did not call me either. A letter was sent as a formality. The government and the Opposition are not enemies, it is an ideological fight, on principles and programmes. When you meet, sit and talk, many times we get a chance to ventilate our views about each other. The relationship should be such that the government should at least know what the Opposition thinks. Modiji should make an effort to understand the Opposition point of view. You got 31% (of the total) votes in 2014, you increased it in 2019 but you did not get 100%. A large section of the people voted against you. They voted for the Opposition parties. So he should respect the Opposition and try to understand their point of view too. What is your mission 2023? Gehlot: Mission 156. When I became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1998, we got 156 seats. You will be the face? Gehlot: That the high command will decide. The Congress does not announce faces, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have made me CM three times. They must have seen something in me. That is my asset.
