Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
| Photo Credit: PTI
On the eve of polling in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday played the ‘son of the soil’ card, taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, saying two “Gujaratis” were touring the State but people should vote for him because he is a “Rajasthani”.
Gehlot recalled that when he was campaigning in Gujarat for the assembly elections, Modi had said that a “Marwari has come to Gujarat and wants to win the Gujarat assembly elections”.
The Congress leader also claimed that the prime minister had said where else could he (Modi) go since he was a Gujarati.
“Two Gujaratis are touring the state and I am a Rajasthani. I ask the people of Rajasthan where will I go.”
“People of the the state are everything to me, so elect me the way people helped them win in Gujarat,” Gehlot told reporters at the Jaipur airport, referring to Prime Minister Modi’s speech during the Gujarat assembly polls.
Gehlot alleged that the BJP won votes by “inciting the emotions” of Gujaratis.
The chief minister said leaders who came from Delhi to “incite people” in Rajasthan did not criticise or discuss the state government’s schemes, laws and guarantees.
“They did not debate anything. This means they came just to incite,” Gehlot said.
He said that the state government has done good work and there was support for it. “This feeling has reached every house and I am confident that there is an undercurrent of support in Rajasthan,” he said.
Polling for 199 out of 200 seats of the Rajasthan Assembly are due on Saturday and counting will take place on December 3.