In the interview to News18, Union Minister and BJP MP from Jodhpur Gajendra Shekhawat also called the Gehlot-Pilot unity show a facade. (PTI/File)
Rajasthan Election 2023: In an interview to News18, Union Minister and BJP MP from Jodhpur Gajendra Shekhawat said Ashok Gehlot will lose from the Sardarpura seat. The senior BJP leader, however, did not comment on whether he was in the race to become the Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot will lose from the Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur and the BJP will do a clean sweep of all 10 Assembly seats in the city, Union Minister and BJP MP from Jodhpur Gajendra Shekhawat told News18. He had defeated the CM’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, to win Jodhpur in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and has a long rivalry with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
“People of Sardarpura will this time choose an MLA, not a CM. People in Sardarpura voted for Gehlot in 1998 and ever since, but he was missing from the seat and people kept looking for him. They are angry with him. He was not with them in their happy or sad moments,” Shekhawat said. He also called the Gehlot-Pilot unity show a facade.
“Gehlot and Sachin Pilot kept fighting for five years, they did mere photo-ops of unity with various top Congress leaders. People suffered because of their fight. Pilot worked hard for five years before 2018, but Gehlot, like a jadoogar (magician), became the CM after pushing him behind. Wait and see how Gehlot and Pilot will start attacking each other after their big loss in these elections. It will show that they had never patched up,” Shekhawat told News18.
He said it was crystal clear that the BJP was winning in Rajasthan with a big majority. “Congress ki vidai tai ho gayi hai… (Congress departure is certain). A person (Gehlot) who has done vishvasghaat (betrayal) with people after 2018 by not fulfilling promises, his guarantees won’t be trusted by the people,” Shekhawat said.
He added that Gehlot had realised that his foundation was lost so he started conducting guarantee camps about six months ago. “People have rejected his seven guarantees from day one. The results will show it,” Shekhawat said.
The senior BJP leader, however, did not comment on whether he was in the race to become the Chief Minister among others like Diya Kumari and Rajendra Rathore. “Whoever becomes our CM will fulfil PM Modi’s vision and take Rajasthan forward,” Shekhawat said.
