Dungarpur win, a morale booster for Cong in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Dec 7 (UNI) The Dungarpur bypoll win has come as a timely morale booster for the Congress camp in Rajasthan, which is all set to observe tomorrow as a 'Black Day', marking the completion of three years of the Vasundhara Raje government's ''misrule''.

And true to party tradition, Congress unit here credited its win to party president Sonia Gandhi's leadership.

State party president B D Kalla said here today: ''Our team work and team spirit in the run up to the election has paid off but we dedicate our win to our leader Sonia Gandhi.'' Dr Kalla, high on the Dungarpur victory, however, seemed hesitant when asked whether he would lead the Congress party in the Assembly polls two years from now, leaving the decision to Mrs Gandhi.

The win seems to be acting as a succour for Congress Party, which is seemingly rudderless without any effective leader at present and several active cotorie.

Former chief minister and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, bereft of any post in the state Congress Party, is not much active in state politics, with additional responsibility of Uttar Pradesh party affairs, what with the state's Assembly elections nearing.

And the win under Dr Kalla, supposed to be from the Gehlot camp, is being seen as an approval stamp for state party president, who has many rivals in the running.

The Congress says BJP's undoing has been its unkept promises in the past three years mainly the electricity deficit, the mismanagement of flood situation and not providing employment to over one lakh unemployed.

On the other hand, accepting the people's verdict, the BJP said Dungarpur has been a traditional Congress stronghold.

Reacting to the defeat, state BJP president Dr Mahesh Sharma said: ''We worked very hard in Dungarpur as it has been a Congress seat for the past 50 years but probably failed to live up to the people's expectation in this tribal belt.'' UNI RRT PK HS1801