The Hindu : Development to top poll agenda: Gehlot

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Friday, May 02, 2003

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Development to top poll agenda: Gehlot

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 1. The point he scored over the Hindutva brigade vis-a-vis VHP's trishul distribution programme in the State notwithstanding, the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, today insisted that development issues and not emotive ones would top the agenda for the coming Assembly elections. Mr. Gehlot who was here to meet the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, was reluctant to divulge details on what transpired. All he said was that he discussed with Ms. Gandhi and the AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, Ambika Soni, party activities that were being planned in the State.

Though the Congress is still in the process of chalking out its strategy for the coming elections, the focus will be on development issues. "Despite the worst drought in a century, we have been able to keep the promises we made to the people before the last elections,'' he said.

As for the anti-incumbency factor working against the Congress, Mr. Gehlot said while it could have a bearing, it would not be a deciding factor. "The Opposition has no issues. They have not been able to mobilise people over a single issue in the past four-and-half years,'' he argued, confident of weathering the negative publicity he got because of the drought situation and last year's starvation deaths.

About his firm handling of the VHP trishul distribution programme and the arrest of the VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, the Chief Minister sought to clarify that it was done in public interest and not with an eye on the elections. And, according to him, the State had not imposed any ban on the trishul but only sought to regulate its distribution.

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Development to top poll agenda: Gehlot