RAJASTHAN BYPOLLS

BJP calm, Cong finds going tough

While the ruling BJP is cool, calm and confident about byelections to four Assembly seats in the Rajasthan Assembly, the Opposition Congress is working hard to put up a tough challenge.

Displaying confidence that her party will win the Assembly bypolls, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje is to leave for Singapore on September 6, exactly a week before polling. She is expected to return on September 12, just a day before voting day.

Ms Raje has planned this trip to attract business and investment. Interestingly, education minister Kalicharan Saraf, who had gone to Mount Abu on holiday with family, had to rush to Weir after getting an earful from the CM who was reportedly angry that Mr Saraf chose to holiday in the hills rather than campaign for the elections.

Ms Raje’s confidence comes from the fact that if the party loses all four seats it would still not affect the stability of her government. The BJP has 163 MLAs well above the required majority. The other reason may be that Ms Raje and her party expect the honeymoon period to continue for a while as the BJP government is only nine months old and had barely three months ago won all 25 LS seats. The Congress is leaving no stone unturned to win these seats and to create an impression that the people are disenchanted with the BJP government.