Rajasthan: Modi to focus on voters, Shah on angry cadre

BJP strategy aims to undo damage by lax Raje regime

To beat anti- incumbency in poll- bound Rajasthan and assuage the BJP’s angry cadre in the desert state, the ruling party has devised a strategy wherein BJP president Amit Shah will reach out to party workers in each district while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address rallies to reassure people about the party’s commitment to development, welfare for all and clean governance.

Party sources said that Mr Shah has already held worker meetings in several parts of the state and is expected to cover all districts in the next few days. The focus of these visits is to reach out to organisational workers allegedly disenchanted with the Vasundhara Raje regime.

During his interactions, the BJP chief emphasises that workers should work for the victory of the party no matter how upset they are. He reminds them that a BJP government in power would any day be better for them than of any Opposition party.

The BJP is looking at its star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi to once again spin magic at his rallies and ensure voters’ sentiment grows in favour of the ruling party.

“The Prime Minister will focus on the disaffection among the common man against the Raje government. He is the tallest leader of the party and his popularity continues to be at the highest levels and the party hopes that

he would be able to secure yet another win for us in the state,” a senior BJP leader said.

Interestingly, Ms Raje, who is the BJP’s face in Rajasthan, has been conspicuously absent from many sammelans and party meetings that Mr Shah has addressed.

Sources said that it is a part of the strategy that Mr Shah goes to meetings separately to address issues raised by booth level workers and does not accompany the chief minister whenever she interacts with workers.

Sources said that Mr Shah has been pro- active in Rajasthan in an effort to reverse the trend wherein no party has won consecutive elections in the past 25 years.

Ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections, the BJP president has been addressing a number of meetings and rallies in Rajasthan, reaching out to tribals and farmers, and mobilising party workers without the chief minister in tow.

This is in stark contrast to the BJP president’s engagements in the other two major poll- bound states — Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — where chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh join him during majority campaign rallies. Voting in Chhattisgarh will take place on November 12 and 20 and in Madhya Pradesh on November 28.