In a scathing critique, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Govind Singh Dotasra launched a direct assault on the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government this Saturday. He accused the ruling party of employing the "One State–One Election" slogan as a smokescreen to hide its administrative failures, actions he claims are harming the common people.
An "Open Conspiracy" Against Voters
Dotasra raised strong objections to the state government's proposal to conduct upcoming local body elections using the voter list from January 2025. This move comes despite the controversial deletion of over 40 lakh (4 million) names from the electoral rolls during a recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
"First, voters are systematically removed from the list, and then elections are conducted at will. This is not democracy; it is an open conspiracy," the Congress leader stated emphatically. He framed this sequence of events as a deliberate attempt by the BJP government to undermine core democratic processes within Rajasthan.
Rs 3,000 Crore Rural Development Fund in Limbo
Beyond the electoral controversy, Dotasra highlighted a critical financial consequence of the delayed local polls. He revealed that due to the postponement of panchayat elections, central funds worth Rs 3,000 crore have been stalled. This massive sum was earmarked for essential rural development projects.
"This is not a small sum. Rural development came to a complete standstill," he warned. The funds are intended for crucial infrastructure work like constructing roads, ensuring drinking water supply, and other vital amenities in villages across the state.
A Warning and an Allegation of Pressure
The PCC chief issued a stern warning to the government, stating that if this allocated money lapses due to further delays, the people of Rajasthan will never forgive the BJP administration. He positioned the government's actions as a direct betrayal of rural citizens' development needs.
Further escalating his allegations, Dotasra claimed that after the reality of the stalled funds and electoral issues came to light, the state government began pressuring the State Election Commission to conduct the local body elections in a hasty manner. This, he implied, was a panic response to avoid accountability for the blocked development money and the voter list purge.
The confrontation sets the stage for a heated political battle in Rajasthan, with the Congress positioning itself as the defender of democratic integrity and rural welfare against the incumbent BJP.
