Congress Comeback in Rajasthan Dampened: Son Vaibhav's Defeat Mars Ex-CM Ashok Gehlot's Joy, Blames Language and Seat Dynamics

Jaipur- The Congress party that lost the state assembly elections to the BJP in November 2023, has made a remarkable comeback in Rajasthan after a decade in the Lok Sabha constituencies.

The Indian National Congress (INC), which had lost all 25 seats in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019, was expected to face a similar fate this time. However, as the election progressed, the BJP and its leaders began to acknowledge, albeit reluctantly, that they might lose a few seats in the desert state.

The final mandate brought sheer joy to the Congress as the party and its partners managed to capture 11 seats, dampening the spirits of the overconfident BJP.

Congress candidates won on 8 seats while three candidates of the INDIA bloc routed the BJP contestants by significant margins. The Congress winners were Kuldeep Indore (Ganganagar), Rahul Kaswan (Churu), who had switched from the BJP ahead of the election, former Minister Murari Lal Meena (Dausa), Ummeda Ram Beniwal (Barmer), who left the RLP to join the Congress before election, Brijendra Singh Ola ( Jhunjhunu), Sanjana Jatav (Bharatpur), Bhajanlal Jatav (Karauli-Dhaulpur) and former Director General of Police Harish Chandra Meena (Tonk-Sawai Madhopur).

Other winners of the INDIA block are CPI(M)’s Amra Ram in Sikar, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party’s (RLP) Hanuman Beniwal in Nagaur and the Bharat Adivasi Party’s (BAP) Rajkumar Roat in Banswara.

Despite this success, former CM Ashok Gehlot has little to celebrate, having been ousted from the state government and witnessing his son Vaibhav's defeat in the Jalore-Sirohi seat.

Vaibhav's Consecutive Defeats

This marks the second consecutive defeat for Vaibhav Gehlot in Lok Sabha elections. In the previous election, BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat secured the Jodhpur seat with 58.50 percent of the vote share, amounting to 7,80,390 votes, while Vaibhav polled 5,10,759 votes, or 38.29 percent of the vote share. This time Vaibhav lost the seat to BJP's Lumbaram by a margin of 201543 votes.

In an attempt to explain his son's recent defeat, Ashok Gehlot has pointed to the challenging nature of the Jalore-Sirohi seat. He described it as the toughest constituency in Rajasthan, claiming that many conditions were unfavorable and that no one was initially willing to contest from there. This statement has sparked widespread political discussions, with critics accusing Gehlot of trying to obscure the real reasons behind the loss.

During an interview with a news agency following the election results, Gehlot attempted to clarify the reasons for Vaibhav's loss. He stated that Jalore-Sirohi was always a difficult seat and that many conditions were not in their favor. Gehlot's explanation, however, is being viewed by some as an attempt to downplay the magnitude of the defeat by attributing it to external factors.

Vaibhav Gehlot took to social media to accept his defeat graciously. In a heartfelt message, he expressed his gratitude to the voters of Jalore, Sirohi, and Sanchore:

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters of Jalore, Sirohi, and Sanchore who gave me their votes and blessings. I congratulate Lumbaram ji and hope that he will fulfill the expectations with which the people here have voted for him. There are wins and losses in politics. What is remembered is how the battle was fought. I believe that we have fought a good battle here. That is why Congress has secured the maximum votes so far in the Jalore-Sirohi seat. This was a difficult seat where the party had not won for 20 years. The party had instructed me to contest from here and I accepted this challenge. I worked hard on my part and presented my vision of development to the public but the local equations prevailed and they won.""I had tweeted that there is a need to work for the children here and for that, I have spoken to Kailash Satyarthi ji, so further work will be done on that. I will continue to work in Jalore-Sirohi in the future as well. I had assured during the election campaign that I would be with the people of Jalore-Sirohi in their happiness and sorrow. I humbly accept the decision of the people here but it is my responsibility to serve all those who have voted for me or against me."

Political analysts and opponents have pointed out that it was Vaibhav Gehlot who chose to contest from Jalore-Sirohi. This has led to questions about why the seat is being described as particularly tough only after the loss.

Before the Lok Sabha elections, Vaibhav dramatically resigned as the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) to focus on his political career. He decided to contest from Jalore, spending considerable time consolidating his position there.

Ashok Gehlot also sought extensive feedback from local leaders before Vaibhav's candidacy was confirmed, making the narrative of the seat's difficulty appear contradictory post-defeat.

Another reason cited by Gehlot for Vaibhav's defeat was the language barrier in Jalore-Sirohi. He mentioned that the influence of the Gujarati language in this region, due to its proximity to Gujarat, posed significant challenges in communication during the campaign.

This explanation, however, has not been well-received in political circles, with many questioning its validity. Critics argue that the region, while close to Gujarat, is still part of Rajasthan, and the Gujarati language influence should not have been a major obstacle for a seasoned campaign.

In defending Vaibhav, Ashok Gehlot also touched upon the loss in the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat, which has a long history tied to his political career. He hinted at complex reasons behind the Jodhpur loss but chose not to elaborate. Gehlot expressed that the conditions under which Vaibhav contested were extremely challenging, particularly criticizing the BJP's campaign strategy, which he described as fueled by "pride and arrogance."

Gehlot's statements have ignited a wave of reactions from political opponents and commentators. Many have taken to social media and other platforms to troll Gehlot, suggesting that his explanations are mere excuses to cover up a political failure.

Some critics argue that blaming external factors like seat difficulty and language barriers detracts from addressing the underlying issues within the Congress party's campaign strategy.