Rajasthan Congress chief: ‘Good performance in LS polls result of combined effort … just one man cannot be credited’

Excerpts:

The Congress made a comeback in a Lok Sabha election after 10 years. What was your strategy?

We focused on core issues concerning the state. We travelled to 17 constituencies in Rajasthan and realised that there was a chance to score some seats if we chose the right candidates. And that is what we did. We gave tickets to potential winners while trying to resolve the internal problems in the party.

Second, we raised local issues such as Agnipath (the controversial short-term Army recruitment policy) and farmers’ protests. These two issues were important in Ganganagar (parliamentary seat) and the state’s Shekhawati belt, and we used them in our campaigns. Then there was the issue of (the BJP’s attempts to) change the Constitution and end reservation. As a result, the state’s SC, ST, minority, and the Jats supported the Congress.

Your three allies won too. Will this affect the Congress’s prospects in these seats in the future?

Three allies were able to defeat the BJP with our help. They could not have secured these votes independently. Meanwhile, the Congress votes are intact and still support us. So, it won’t be a problem in the future because our voters’ ideology is still the same.

What was Sachin Pilot’s role in winning back eastern Rajasthan for the Congress?

It was a combined effort and cannot be credited to just one man. There have been efforts (by the party) to unite our voters. I have worked all over the state, especially in my home district, Sikar. But I can’t say that the party’s performance in the state’s Shekhawati region is because of me. It was a team effort.

Former CM Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav lost in Jalore despite the party’s overall good showing in Rajasthan …

We also didn’t win other seats, such as Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Ajmer. It’s the voters’ decision. Sometimes things don’t go to plan and that is fine. It is politics. We’ll work harder next time.

Leaders like Rahul Kaswan, Prahlad Gunjal or Ummeda Ram (Beniwal), who used to criticise the Congress before, have now joined the party.

Everyone who has joined Congress has done so because we’re a party with a better future, and because we respect people. We supported Kaswan (this election). Even Gunjal helped the party grow in Kota. They have worked for the Congress and things from the past shouldn’t matter.

What about the candidates that the Congress has expelled? Will they be taken back?

No. Those who can betray the party have no place here. These people worked against the party’s interest when it needed them most. It’s not possible for us to trust them again.

What are the Congress’s plans going forward?

We will shore up the party for coming local body polls and bypolls. We want to make its functioning stronger, ensure it’s better connected on the ground and better aligned with the needs and wants of the public and party workers. People are enthusiastic (after the election results) but whether this can be converted into more seats in the coming election will be the real test.