The BJP has ED; we have seven guarantees

Beti, you come to the chief minister's residence in Jaipur. We will have a chat there over a cup of tea. Don't get disheartened," said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as a teenaged girl in Alwar struggled with a faulty sound system to get her views across to him over videoconferencing.

- SONI MISHRA

The occasion was the launch of Gehlot's flagship 'Rajasthan Mission 2030' on August 23. Gehlot was interacting with college students, a majority of them girls, from different parts of the state via videoconferencing from Jaipur's Birla Auditorium. He was seeking suggestions on what to include in the Mission 2030 document.

The chief minister had only just resumed his public outreach activities; he had fractured the toes of both his feet. He spoke like a doting elder to the girls, encouraging them to speak up and asking them questions about their studies and families. He noted down their suggestions himself. When a girl from Udaipur suggested that her college should start offering postgraduate courses, he promised her it would be done and did so that very day.

Over the past several months, Gehlot has had many such interactions with students, farmers, women, businessmen-as part of a massive public outreach exercise based on his government's welfare schemes. That August 23 evening, Gehlot laughed off a question from THE WEEK on whether the Mission 2030 initiative-the stated aim of which is to find ways to make Rajasthan the most developed state by 2030-was also meant to convey to his opponents, both within and outside the Congress, that he was here to stay. But it was clear then as it is clear now that the 72-year-old leader intends to stay on. He is putting his best foot forward as he attempts to do what he has failed to do in his previous two stints at the helm-win the Assembly election as an incumbent.

The magician-turned-politician is hoping that the relentless flurry of welfare measures and promises unleashed by him will do the trick and halt the revolving door politics of the state.