Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) President Govind Singh Dotasra, in a recent review meeting about the upcoming byelections, strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for failing to fulfill its promises to the people of Rajasthan. Dotasra highlighted several key promises made by the BJP during the 2018 assembly elections, including the procurement of millet at Minimum Support Price (MSP), purchasing wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal with a bonus on MSP, increasing the Kisan Samman Nidhi to Rs 12,000, and providing a pension of Rs 1,500 to senior citizens. However, Dotasra argued that, under the BJP’s 10-month rule, many of these promises had not been fulfilled, and some welfare schemes initiated by the Congress government had been halted or put on hold.
The Congress leader also pointed out that the BJP government had failed to make petrol and diesel prices equal to those in the neighbouring state of Haryana, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the election campaign. Dotasra said that schemes like the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Yojana, Anuprati Coaching Yojana, Indira Rasoi Yojana, electricity bill discounts for farmers and domestic consumers, and the Pashudhan Swasthya Bima Yojana had either been discontinued or suspended under the BJP government.
“The promises made to the people of Rajasthan are lies. The BJP has failed to deliver on every front. The people of Rajasthan are now facing the consequences of their false promises,” Dotasra said.
Dotasra further accused the BJP of selling the state’s interests to neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh and Haryana through dubious agreements, particularly regarding the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and the Yamuna water-sharing deal. He alleged that the BJP government had kept the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed with these states a secret, refusing to make the details public.
“This shows the BJP government’s lack of transparency and commitment to the people of Rajasthan,” Dotasra added. He also took a swipe at Bhajan Lal Sharma, the head of the BJP government, claiming that the BJP was failing in crucial areas such as medical facilities, education, infrastructure, and law and order in the state. According to Dotasra, the BJP’s inability to address basic public concerns had resulted in a disinterest among the people. He claimed that public meetings organised by the BJP in support of candidates in the byelections were poorly attended, with many empty chairs reflecting the public’s growing disillusionment with the ruling party.
“The BJP is losing the byelections in all seven assembly constituencies. The people have distanced themselves from the party because of its failure to deliver,” Dotasara remarked. He expressed confidence that Congress candidates would win all seven seats in the upcoming by-elections.
Dotasra also addressed the issue of nepotism within the BJP, citing the example of Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena. He pointed out that the BJP government had failed to provide compensation to farmers for crop losses caused by excessive rains, and in an attempt to appease his brother, Dr Meena had ensured that his sibling received a ticket in the byelection. Dotasra claimed that the people of Dausa had decided to vote against Dr Meena’s brother, as a form of protest against the minister’s insensitive remarks about farmers and his family’s continued political manoeuvring.
“Dr Kirori Meena insulted the farmers by saying that they have a habit of taking loans and not repaying them. The people of Dausa will teach him a lesson in these elections,” Dotasra asserted.