BJP to organise statewide protests on October 30

JAIPUR: The BJP will hold dharnas across the state on October 30 to protest against the Congress government’s “illegal” and “illogical” changes in the format of the local body elections.

State BJP president Satish Poonia held a meeting of BJP MLAS and MPS where the issues of local body elections and implementation of central schemes in Rajasthan were taken up.

Addressing the media after the meeting, leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said the BJP strongly opposes the government decision and will fight against it. “Party MLAS will hold dharnas in their respective areas on October 30 and hold press conferences to tell people about this undemocratic and illegal decision,” he said.

“The law gave rights to people and allowed all people the opportunity to contest for the post of heads of local bodies, but the government through its decision is killing democracy,” he said.

Poonia said the government is t rying t o create confusion regarding the local body elections. “The worried government is undecided and divided on the elections. It was decided in the meeting to oppose this decision.”

He said the state government was not implementing central schemes properly and had not given financial sanction for the MP LAD funds yet, which was creating hurdles in sanctioning money for development works.

Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat said the Congress government has illegally changed the name of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Poonia said the BJP will organize Run for Unity across the state on the occasion of Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary on October 31.

Kataria said the government had done reorganization of wards as they felt it would help them politically. They then changed their own decision to hold direct elections to local bodies and decided to hold indirect elections because they realised they would not be able to win, he added.

They then brought in a new hybrid formula whereby noncouncillors too would be able to contest for the post of heads of local bodies, said Kataria. “This will ensure that only wealthy candidates who can make a drama of democracy will get to contest. Party discipline will hold no meaning and money will play an important role,” he added.

Shekhawat said the Congress government has violated the Panchayati Raj Act and the BJP will fight against this.

Congress s pokesperson Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, “BJP’S allegations are baseless. Government has not done anything illegally.”

He said BJP has democratic right to protest and they should. “They talk more and act less. BJP has no issues. They are lying but lies are no solution,” he added,

He said the hybrid formula is Congress’s internal matter and the party will resolve it.