BJP plans public outreach drive in June
THE PLAN Teams will tour districts to publicise govt achievements; Raje expected to take part JAIPUR:
The ruling BJP will take out Gaurav Yatra, a mass outreach programme, in June to publicise the achievements of the Vasundhara Raje government in all seven divisions of poll-bound Rajasthan covering all 200 constituencies.
Seven teams comprising three ministers each will tour different districts and interact with people to create awareness about government policies and achievements in the past four years. The BJP leaders will also interact and take feedback from the party workers. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje is also expected to take part in the yatra.
“The dates are yet to be finalized, but the yatra will take place in June. The names of ministers and senior party leaders are being finalized,” a BJP leader familiar with the development said.
State panchayati raj minister Rajendra Rathore, road transport minister Yunus Khan, agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini, industry minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, water resource minister Rampratap, social justice minister Arun Chaturvedi and outgoing president of state unit Ashok Parnami will be part of the yatra.
The BJP has also drawn up plans to strengthen the management of polling booths with the party facing a resurgent Congress. “Poor performance in several polling booths during Alwar and Ajmer by-elections is a cause of concern,” sources said.
The party has decided to strengthen and take feedback on more than 51,000 polling booths across the state. All the district heads have been given instructions to increase the activity of booth units and ensure that the common man was aware about the welfare schemes launched by the government.
A booth formation workshop was organised recently at the BJP state headquarters in which each senior leader was given the responsibility of five mandals. Apart from senior party leaders, booth vistaraks, district presidents and state executive members took part in the workshop.
The delay in appointment of state unit president is also a matter of concern although party leaders are putting up a brave front.
“The name of new president will be announced soon, and there has been no impact on day to day functioning of the party,” former state party chief Ashok Parnami said.
With elections scheduled for later this year, the time is running out for the new party chief to take charge, form a new team and understand the ground situation in Rajasthan.
“What Gaurav are they talking about when there is rise in crime against women and rampant corruption and price rise. They can’t even decide upon a president (for the state unit). The chief minister’s aura has also diminished,” Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said.