With praise for ‘son of Rajasthan’ Shekhawat, PM sets ball rolling
SOFT LAUNCH Modi singles out Union minister but adds few words for Raje too, BJP seizes momentum from Cong
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have ruffled the feathers for Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje as he praised another state leader and junior agriculture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for his efforts in promoting farmers’ welfare even as the ruling BJP seems to have seized the momentum from the rival Congress for the election slated for November-December this year.
Rajput leader and member of Parliament from Jodhpur, Shekhawat was the party’s first choice for the state chief but Raje opposed his nomination saying the decision would alienate the Jats, the community of her in-laws, resulting in a stalemate for close to two months. Rajputs constitute about eight per cent of the state population while Jats are about 12%.
Two other politically signification groupings are of Gujjars, to which Congress state president Sachin Pilot belongs, and Malis, the community of Congress leader Ashok Gehlot and Madan Lal Saini, whom the BJP has now appointed the state chief to mollify Raje.
Addressing beneficiaries of welfare schemes in Jaipur on Saturday, Modi singled out Shekhawat among the state leaders for his work as agriculture minister saying he has “contributed” a lot in deciding higher minimum support price for farm produce, while praising Rajasthan government for developmental works.
“We are working on doubling double farmer’s income by 2022. Son of Rajasthan and my colleague Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is working to take agriculture forward,” he said.
Narayan Bareth, former professor at the mass communication department, University of Rajasthan, said this was an indication that Shekhawat is still in the running for the post of chief minister even though the BJP has announced that it will contest the state polls under Raje’s leadership.
With the BJP going to polls under Raje’s leadership, Modi referred to her as the state’s “popular chief minister” and lauded the work done by her government. He praised Raje’s ambitious Mukya Mantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan, saying it improved water availability in the state.
The PM’s visit may galvanise party cadre, which was in dumps after defeat in three bypolls in February. BJP leaders said with the PM’s successful visit and appointment of Saini, the party is poll ready.
The Congress, however, still has to get its act together, say analysts.
Bareth said the after the PM rally, the Congress should not take things for granted. “The ‘Mera Booth, Mera Gaurav’ programme aimed at strengthening the cadres at the booth level had become an exercise in getting ticket for the election,” he said.
Debunking the claim, state Congress president Sachin Pilot said the party has a head-start over the BJP. “In the two-and-ahalf months, when the BJP was having a tug-of-war over appointment of a president, Congress covered 170 of 200 assembly constituencies through its ‘Mera Booth Mera Gaurav’ campaign.”
A Congress leader, however, said the BJP seems to have set the tone for the polls. “The Congress was caught unawares by the preparedness of the BJP,” he added.
Political analyst Prof Rajiv Gupta said the Congress could not sit back and hope that anti-incumbency against the BJP government would propel them to power. “Congress is struggling with internal divide and showing its opportunistic character. They need to fight unitedly and stop living in an illusory world.”
JAIPUR: