End of the road for Vasundhara Raje
Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje Scindia showed up on Saturday to address workers at four places in the JhalawarBaran Lok Sabha seat where her son and sitting MP Dushyant Singh is contesting against Congress’ Urmila Jain Bhaya to seek a fifth term in the Lower House.
JhalawarBaran will witness polls in the second phase, on April 26, along with a dozen other Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan.
The first phase of polling will be on April 19.
Raje lined up three more ‘karyakarta baithaks’ on Sunday. But only in her son’s constituency. Praising Modi for making India’s economy the fifthlargest in the world, she told her workers that this election was not just about JhalawarBaran but to make India develop. It’s also about the ‘country’s Astha’ (faith) Modi was honoured by paving the way for the construction of Ram temple, she said.
SELECTIVE CAMPAIGNING
A star campaigner since she became the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2003, Raje has confined herself merely to protect the interest of her son, said BJP sources close to her. According to party leaders, while her name is on the list of star campaigners for Rajasthan, she is mostly campaigning only for her son.
Raje is also the national vicepresident of the BJP. But she was not invited to be a part of any of the six public engagements that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had in Rajasthan till now.
Local BJP leaders said she has been keeping to herself so far because of Navraatra puja and also that she is not being sought by the party for campaigning, leaving Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spearhead the campaign.
DWINDLING INFLUENCE
Candidates who are contesting in the Lok Sabha elections are hesitant to invite Vasundhara Raje for campaigning. Although Raje still has her charm and is skilled in political strategy, the BJP overlooked her claim for chief ministership in the assembly elections last year and appointed Bhajan Lal Sharma instead. As a result, Raje has become somewhat of a political untouchable. Lok Sabha candidates are unsure of how inviting her for campaigning will be perceived by the BJP top brass.
However, she is still popular among the people.
“There is no other State party leader of her stature in the State who can assist Narendra Modi to deliver an electoral result repeat of 2019 or 2014,” said Ranbir Jat in Bharatpur.
The BJP swept all the 25 seats in Rajasthan during the last Lok Sabha polls. In 2014, the BJP had pocketed 24 seats in the desert State.