Raje says confident of retaining power, sets sight on LS election

STATE BJP PRESIDENT MADANLAL SAINI SAID ON THE BASIS OF FEEDBACK FROM ITS WORKERS, THE BJP WAS CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD RETAIN POWER

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP has already started preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Raje chaired a meeting of the BJP core committee at the party headquarters here. Talking to the media after the meetings, she said the BJP would get majority in the assembly elections. State BJP president Madanlal Saini said on the basis of feedback from its workers, the party was confident that it would form government with full majority. On the exit polls predicting victory for the Congress in the state, Saini said, “Our workers have fought it out at the booth level. We trust their feedback”

He said workers have been asked to go fully prepared to ensure there is no problem durover, ing the counting of votes on December 11. Polling on 199 assembly seats took place on December 7.

BJP election management committee convenor Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the party was in touch with its rebel candidates, though, he added, that there would be no need for them.

Shekhawat said, during the meetings, members shared their experiences of the election management, planning, campaign and polling. He said the major part of the discussion was regarding preparations for the 2019 polls. “As soon as one election is we begin preparing for the next one. We discussed how to effectively overcome shortcomings and apply good practices for the 2019 Lok Sabha election,” he said. Rajasthan has 25 parliamentary seats and the BJP had won all in the 2014 election.

Regarding the counting of votes, he said leaders have been allotted responsibility of different areas. Regarding the Congress allegations of tampering of EVMs, Shekhawat said, “The Congress is frustrated and so they have held the administration to ransom. The Congress is staring at defeat and is thus questioning the EVMs. The Congress has already accepted its defeat,” he said. In Bharatpur, the Congress has alleged tampering with EVMs and lax security outside the strong room where the EVMs are kept. Congress workers clashed with police and also staged a sit-in on Saturday night and demanded that SP Kesar Singh Shekhawat be removed.