Incumbent Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Congress would form governments in all five poll-bound states, including Telangana, even though the BJP-led Centre was 'misusing' the central agencies against the opposition leaders.
Citing feedback from the ground, he told reporters here that the Congress is going to win everywhere.
Had a Congress government been formed in Telangana 10 years ago after party leader Sonia Gandhi fulfilled the promise of creation of a separate state of Telangana, it would have reached greater heights, he claimed.
Accusing the BRS government in Telangana of failing to provide good governance since 2014, Gehlot said now reports of a tacit understanding between BRS and BJP are emerging.
Dismissing PM Narendra Modi's allegation about question paper leak in Rajasthan, he said similar leaks were reported in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and also in Telangana.
He added that Rajasthan has passed a law to penalise those indulging in paper leaks with life imprisonment.
The Rajasthan CM charged the union government with misusing central agencies like ED and CBI. 'We welcome it if someone does (deeds of) dishonesty... But, if you do it with politically revengeful attitude to bring down or to form governments...,' he said.
Gehlot further alleged that no action has been initiated against economic offenders in the country and some of them have even fled.
"First send ED... threaten, then make friends. What happened in Madhya Pradesh? Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, all three elected governments have been dislodged. Is this democracy?" he asked.
Such attempts were not successful in Rajasthan, Gehlot said.
"What is happening in the country is dangerous to democracy," the Congress veteran said, claiming that the credibility of agencies is being hurt badly.
PM Modi campaigns extensively in states where elections are held unlike his predecessors who addressed only a couple of rallies in a state, he said. There used to be lot of credibility to the visits of PM then, he recalled.
Taking a swipe at Modi's Tejas jet sortie in Bengaluru recently when polling was held in Rajasthan, Gehlot asked 'Did he get the same day (to undertake the sortie)?'