Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is not termed a public leader(Jan Nayak) just like that. He entered into politics at a very young age and in no time moved forward but by bit in the Congress party full of existing stalwarts. He prevailed in the politics of the country and the state prominently with his unmatched skills, so only today he is a strong leader on front line of the nation. His political skills have amazed even to political leaders.
Initially many political veterans considered Gehlot as an immature politician, but gradually he displayed his hidden talents in such a way that the seasoned big stalwarts of politics were forced to watch a race of 'tortoise and hare'.
When Gehlot reached Delhi for the first time as an MP from Jodhpur, no one had thought that this shy man with a slim body and six feet tall and quiet person would join the cabinet of Priyadarshini Indira Gandhi. Gehlot also joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi after the brutal assassination of Indira Gandhi. Later he joined Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s cabinet too.
As a Union Minister, Gehlot gifted the country's capital with institutions like Dilli Haat and NIFT, while he also made many innovations in the field of civil aviation and tourism. Besides this, Gehlot made his constituency Jodhpur the first city in the country that has many renowned national institutions. The second largest city of the state is well connected with better commuting facilities by road, rail and air.
Despite being veteran politicians in the Rajasthan congress party, like- late Chief Minister Mohanlal Sukhadian, Barkatullah Khan, Haridev Joshi, Naval Kishore Sharma, Nathuram Mirdha, Ram Niwas Mirdha, Kunwar Natwar Singh, Shivcharan Mathur, Jagannath Paharia, Hiralal Devpura, Gulab Singh Shaktawat, Bhikhabhai, C.P. Joshi, Kamla Beniwal, Dr Girija Vyas, Sheeshram Ola, Parasram Maderna, Rajesh Pilot, Balram Jakhar, Buta Singh, etc, Gehlot entered for the first time as the State Congress President, no one believed and expected that he would be able to establish his presence in Rajasthan. But, the political wizard Gehlot worked his magic in such a way that he became the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, the largest state on the geographical map of the country, not once or twice but for the third time as well. Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be a strong and capable player in politics, has not achieved this position suddenly, but for this, he has devoted himself day and night adhoring to the principles of his party with his hard work and dedication.
Wasting even a single moment in politics is not in his dictionary. Once he was defeated in an election in his home town Jodhpur, he did not get disheartened and soon after the election results, he set out alone to thank his voters from each and every household followed by a caravan that did not make him leave Jodhpur ever again.
On that very day he asked his personal assistants that to take out all the lists of workers, acquaintances and well-wishers etc to renew from scratch. During his times, one of his old accomplice Sobhagmal Verma tells that Gehlot is very different from other politicians. Politics is in his blood, as he takes novel political moves every day and often remains victorious.
He followed late Haridev Joshi's advice seriously to be a horse of a long race in politics and did tremendous hard work to achieve this goal. His keenness to understand every subject in depth is evident in his actions all the time. Be it a box of sweets or even a medical prescription, he never used it without understanding its effects. Following the same pattern he has got so well-versed today by practising and taking small steps in politics. For that people have begun to turn as him " Chanakya of Politics" and "a political wizard.
Gehlot was successful in getting confidence of his senior leaders and Sonia Gandhi's political advisor Ahmed Patel elected to the Rajya Sabha in a prestigious electoral battle in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with the his tremendous organizational prawsse. He left no stone unturned to shake the BJP‘a very roots even while being in charge of the Gujarat assembly elections. Whatever responsibilities Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and top leaders of the Congress assigned to him from time to time, he executed all those with a great enthusiasm.
He took the challenge to win the elections in Punjab for Captain Amarinder Singh. Be it getting the government formed in Karnataka or organizing work in other states including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, he has always proved himself on every level. During the second term of him as chief ministership of Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi was declared the vice-president of the party in the session of the All India Congress Committee held in Jaipur. Similarly, he made former Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh and other veteran Congress leaders members of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan and ended the drought of not having a single Congress MP from Rajasthan in the Parliament.
Later on the instructions of the party high command, he showed his political acumen by sending other senior leaders of the party to the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, along with solving the challenges of the Chief Minister's race and the formation of the cabinet and organization in the state, the manner in which he made Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra successful, is exquistry in itself. Gehlot is today a favourite of all veteran leaders of the Congress including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi and is recognized as leader of the state. He is seen standing firm like a rock with the party leaders in hours of crises and passed every test of thing with distinction.
People see him as a down-to-earth leader and address him with titles like “Gandhi of Rajasthan” and “Jannayak of Rajasthan”. Today there is no other leader of his stature in the Rajasthan Congress party.
Losing all the seats in the state in the Lok Sabha elections and the previous defeats in the state assembly elections after five years as Chief Minister gave Gehlot's opponents an opportunity to criticize him. Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot’s defeat who contested the elections for first time from his home town Jodhpur rendered immense pain to Gehlot, but he never reflected his face. He was patient and took the election results with the spirit of a sportsman. He got more involved in the work of implementing his plans for public welfare. Gehlot has got the full support and blessings of the national leaders of his party, especially Sonia Gandhi. In his third term as Chief Minister, Gehlot has done excellent work in management of Covid-19 Corona, his many popular schemes, the revival of state employees Old Pension Scheme, Right to Health, cashless treatment in Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Swasthya insurance policy increasing from Rs.10 to 25 lakhs, accidental insurance for ten lakhs, employment in the urban MNREGA, gas cylinder for five hundred rupees, 100 units of domestic electricity and 2000 units to farmers have set milestones. Many budget announcements such as smartphones to women, formation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions HQ in the state and alleviating the sufferings of crores of people through mahangai relief camps etc. before the state assembly elections, such an environment has been created that today the claim is being made to break the tradition of BJP and Congress forming the government alternately after every five years in the state.
He is one of the few leaders in his party who has the courage to publicly attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on every issue of the day. He has become very popular because of his outspoken and precise comments on contemporary issues. He has been speaking on the issue of corruption for the past several years. Quite Often his statements regarding election funds have become the subject of serious discussions at the national level.
In the last four and a half years in Rajasthan, Gehlot has got huge victories in almost all the by-elections of the assembly as well as in the panchayat & local bodies elections.
Gehlot also plays a strategic role in the success of the party's rallies and demonstrations in Delhi. Gehlot has always proved to be true in the mind of the High Command. Gehlot believes in very high clarity and considers every positive criticism as an eye opener for the government and a measure to rectify the shortcomings. In his third term, Gehlot showed a lot of change He doesn't tolerate any kind of laxity in accomplishing the result-oriented works. He does not miss out on strict action by giving a clear message to his ministers, party leaders and government officials who do not follow the principles of accountability, transparency and sensitivity of his government. The development of Rajasthan is getting new wings pressing to the firm intentions of 72-year-old Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
A very happy birthday to him.
