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Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the fourth phase of Sandesh Yatra of the ruling Congress in the tribal-dominated Vagad region of southern Rajasthan on Saturday while reminding the tribal population of their long-standing relations with the party. The Opposition BJP, which has already conducted its yatra in the region, termed Mr. Gehlot’s expedition a “flop show”.Addressing a huge public meeting at Ambapura village near Banswara, Mr. Gehlot said the State Government had evolved a new vision for Vagad and Mewar and started the first railway project in the region at a cost of Rs.1,200 crore. The project will provide the first-ever rail link to Banswara and connect it with Dungarpur and Ratlam. Besides, Rs.400 crore have been sanctioned for drinking water supply to the region.Mr. Gehlot, accompanied by other Congress leaders, later unveiled a statue of Vallabh Bhai Patel at Kushal Bagh grounds in Banswara. The BJP was quick to point out that the thin presence of tribal people in both the functions had given a rough Sandesh (message) to Congress that they do not want the party any more in power in the State.BJP spokesperson Kailash Nath Bhatt said here that the function for unveiling Sardar Patel’s statue was organised to lure the Patidar community which is in majority in the area: “Mr. Gehlot probably forgot that the BJP had already installed an impressive statue of Sardar Patel eight years ago. His gimmick is not going to benefit Congress [in the polls].”

In his address, Mr. Gehlot accused BJP State president and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of “crossing all limits of falsehood” by claiming that she had appointed 10 lakh persons in the State Government. “The number of Government employees in Rajasthan has still not crossed seven lakh. How did she appoint 10 lakh persons five years ago?”

The Chief Minister pointed out that there were as many as 21 instances of police firing during the BJP rule, which had claimed 90 lives. “Ms. Raje did not use Central funds sent by UPA-1 for the State’s development. There was a complete financial mismanagement in Rajasthan during her tenure.”

High stature

Calling upon the people to bring Congress to power once again in the Assembly elections due later this year, Mr. Gehlot said the Vagad region had given a leader of high stature like Harideo Joshi to the State.

AICC general secretary and in-charge for Rajasthan Mukul Wasnik and Pradesh Congress president Chandrabhan also referred to Mr. Joshi and legendary social activist Mama Baleshwar Dayal, while appealing to the tribal population not to allow “communal forces” to succeed in their land of social harmony.

Banswara MP Tarachand Bhagora, Udaipur MP Raghuveer Meena, State Minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya and several other tribal leaders also addressed the public meeting and statue unveiling ceremony.

During the two days of fourth phase of the yatra, Mr. Gehlot will visit places like Kotada, Kushalgarh, Sajjangarh, Bagidora, Arthuna and Sagwara in Banswara and Dungarpur districts and interact with the tribals, considered as traditional voters of Congress, in an attempt to reach out to them.

Reminds the tribal population of Vagad region of their long-standing relations with the Congress

‘State Government has started the first railway project in the region at a cost of Rs.1,200 crore’