Jaisalmer royal keeps all political parties guessing
: Though the wife of former Jaisalmer royal Maharawal Brijraj Singh has announced to contest assembly elections due by the year-end, she has not revealed her affiliation to any political party, creating ripples in the BJP and the Congress.
Raseshwari Rajya Lakshmi announced her entry into politics on Jaisalmer’s 863rd foundation day on August 23, ahead of chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra.
The royal family maintained a distance from Raje’s public meeting held in Jaisalmer a day after Rajya Lakshmi announced to contest elections. Sources claimed that BJP leaders had tried to bring the royal family members to Raje’s meeting and the ‘Mahila Sammelan’, but failed. The royal family’s distance from Raje’e event has trig- gered a buzz that Rajya Lakshmi may contest from the Congress.
Her Facebook post added fuel to the speculations. “While rebutting all the rumours floating around in local media, I just want to say that I will get the MLA ticket solely on the basis of my capabilities. I have decided to contest in these elections while keeping the advice and need of the people of Jaisalmer,” Rajya Laxmi wrote on her Facebook wall.
“I strongly believe that in order to secure bright future for Jaisalmer we should not bank on a political group or party. Each and everybody will do this while coming together….I just want to state that the future of Jaisalmer will be built with love and harmony rather through hate.”
Shankar Dan, a journalist and political observer in Jaisalmer, said that after the royal family skipped Raje’s event, there are more chances that they will choose the Congress.
“Rajputs and other communities associated with them are miffed with the BJP. In such a scenario, the royal family would not prefer to go with the BJP; by skipping Raje’s event, they have given an indication of it,” Dan claimed. “Some internal differences in the royal family also indicate that Rajya Lakshmi may contest from the Congress.”
Apart from the jolt from the royal family, Raje also had faced another setback in Jaisalmer after her proposed ‘Kshatranni Sammelan’ (Rajput women’s convention) was cancelled. Raje sought to win over the miffed Rajputs. But after opposition, Rajput tag was dropped from the convention and it was organised as ‘Mahila Sammelan’.
The BJP won the Jaisalmer assembly seat in the last three elections. The party fielded Rajput candidates in the three polls. The royal family’s foray has added a twist to the next election battle in Jaisalmer.
BARMER