Shah’s visit ends speculations about change in guard in state
POINT MADE BJP chief has made it clear that next year’s polls will be fought under Raje’s leadership
BJP president Amit Shah held a meeting with the state BJP core committee, including chief minister Vasundhara Raje and state president Ashok Parnami, on Sunday followed by a meeting with party MPs and MLAs.
On the last day of his Rajasthan visit, Shah also had lunch at a Dalit party worker’s house in Sushilpura colony in Jaipur.
Shah has put to rest speculations about a change in guard in Rajasthan by publically praising chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s performance.
In closed door meetings, too, Shah made it clear to MLAs that dissent will not be tolerated and the party has to put up a united front in run up to the Assembly elections in 2018. “He has left no doubt in anyone’s mind that the next year’s elections will be fought under Raje’s leadership,” a senior party leader told HT on the condition of anonymity.
“Shah’s focus throughout his visit was to strengthen the party organisation at the booth level, and his visit has galvanised the party cadre,” the senior leader added. Shah is in Jaipur on a three-day visit to review preparations for the party for the state assembly elections, due next year, and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Shah, who had left for Delhi on Saturday evening by a chartered flight to attend President Pranab Mukherjee’s farewell dinner returned late on Saturday night.
On Sunday, he also met party vistaraks (full-time workers) to discuss ways to strengthen the organisation, a party spokesperson said.
He left for New Delhi on a flight at 4.50 pm.
My mother cooked daal, rice, chapatti, halwa, kheer for the party president
was chosen was that he was acquainted with a top-ranking official of the city BJP.
“Shah and the chief minister sat on the floor and ate just like we do. Since we are from the Bunkar community, who are known for their skill of sewing handicraft items, we made plates with leaves for this special occasion,” said Vinod Pacharia, brother of Ramesh.
Both the brothers work at the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) and are BJP workers. “Shah’s visit has put Sushilpura on the map of Jaipur. Most of the houses in this colony are still not legally approved by the government. We hope that this visit makes the administration aware of our problems,” said Pacharia.
Social justice minister Arun Chaturvedi said the party selected the house of its booth level worker, Pacharia, based on his active work for the party and not due to his caste or class.
Residents of the colony said that parts of the road leading to Pacharia’s house were repaired on Sunday. “The road was repaired up in several areas and there was heavy security before the visit,” said Malaram Yadav, a resident of the colony.