Mathur gets cold shoulder from BJP leaders

:BJP national vice president Om Mathur, who was in Barmer on Friday, got the cold shoulder from party leaders as office-bearers and MLAs stayed away during his visit.

A few party workers welcomed Mathur when he arrived at the Barmer circuit house. In state politics, Mathur is considered an opponent of chief minister Vasundhara Raje. BJP MP Col. Sonaram Choudhary, six MLAs from Barmer, district party president Jalam Singh Rawlot and office-bearers were absent during Mathur’s visit. The BJP national vice president did not stay in Barmer for long, and left for Chohtan.

Tarunrai Kaga, BJP legislator from Chohtan, was the only leader who joined Mathur there for a short time. “I was in Jaipur and was unaware about the visit, and reached Chotan when I came to know that Mathur was in my constituency,” Kaga told HT.

Hameer Singh Bhayal, BJP legislator from Siwana, said he could not meet Mathur as he was in Jaipur regarding the president election. BJP’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind was in the Rajasthan capital on Thursday.

BJP’s Barmer general secretary Kailash Kotadiya said, “We have no idea about Mathur’s visit. Party MLAs are in Jaipur in connection with the president election and most of the officebearers are in the field for the ‘booth vistaarak’ programme.”

Local media, however, reported about Mathur’s Barmer visit for three days. Rawlot was not available for his comment.

“It was expected that the BJP leadership will avoid Mathur,” a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity.

“Nobody wants to risk his career,” the leader said.