Rajasthan: Red Diary Issue Not Likely To Cool Down Till Elections; PM Modi Raises Prominently In Sikar; How Congress Will Do Damage Control

Jaipur: The Congress, which claimed to have resolved the four-year-old Gehlot-Pilot dispute during a marathon meeting in Delhi three weeks back, is embroiled in a new crisis. The episode of 'Red Diary' allegedly involving transactions of Rs 500 crores thrown out by the sacked minister Rajendra Gudha of the Gehlot government has worried the national leadership of the Congress.

By raising the demand of bringing out the secrets hidden in the diary, the BJP has been publicizing it at the national level for two consecutive days, while on Thursday in Sikar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also surrounded the Congress on this. 

Red Diary will be a key political issue

Red Diary will be a key political issue in Rajasthan and BJP will leave no stone unturned to capitalize on this issue is clear from the way PM Modi targeted Congress government in the state on Thursday.

Modi attacks Gehlot

Addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Sikar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the 'red diary' issue.

He said the red diary would reveal Congress's dark secrets and will defeat the party during elections in the state."

"Lal diary is a fresh project of Congress's 'jhut ki dukan'," PM Modi said, adding, "It is said the party's dark deeds are recorded in the diary."

Some Cong leaders believe decision to sack Gudha taken in hurry

Meanwhile, according to AICC sources, a section of the AICC leadership believe the decision to sack Gudha from the ministerial post was taken in a hurry. Some AICC leaders are of the view that the matter gained momentum after Gudha was removed from the ministerial post a day earlier and suspended from the Assembly the very next day.

In view of the prevailing circumstances before the elections, the Gudha episode could have been settled through talks at the state level. After this new development, the BJP is constantly trying to set the narrative that there has been massive corruption in the Gehlot government.

Ways of damage control are being considered

Sources say that after the meeting held in Delhi on July 6, atmosphere of the State Congress had changed for better but the Gudha episode has deeply hurt the party’s prospects. Gudha has alleged that the diary contains details of transactions that took place during the RCA elections and in saving the Gehlot government in times of crisis. Therefore the public is curious as to which leaders are named in the transaction that is being talked about in the diary? Because of this, this issue has become a topic of discussion among the people.

A senior national leader of the party said on the condition of anonymity – Ways of damage control are being considered at the national leadership level, but this is an issue that is difficult to cool down till the election. This is the reason why the Congress high command has instructed the leaders of Rajasthan not to give too much weight to the Gudha episode by making rhetoric. They have also been asked to refrain from issuing statements to media.

Positive atmosphere could be ruined, fears Cong

The Congress is hoping to win the elections to be held after just 4 months on the basis of its plans. Due to the sudden diary episode, the party is afraid the positive atmosphere will be ruined. It has been a trend in Rajasthan that any issue that comes up against the government in an election year causes a big loss to the ruling party. The Anandpal encounter and corruption were also big issues against the Vasundhara government in the last election.