'Poonia Bhagao' poster in Raje rally invites high command's attention

By Archana Sharma

Jaipur, Nov 29 (IANS) If sources in Rajasthan BJP are to be believed, the posters in Vasundhara Raje's rally written 'Poonia Bhagao, BJP Bachao' on them have invited the attention of the party high command and a detailed report has been sent to the party headquarters in Delhi.
Satish Poonia is the President of the BJP's Rajasthan unit. The party's state in-charge, Arun Singh, has taken cognisance of the matter and briefed BJP President J.P. Nadda on the same, sources said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Rajasthan is proposed on December 5, while party president J.P. Nadda follows next. Hence, the party is keeping a close eye on who is doing what in the wake of tales of factionalism going far and wide in the party, said BJP sources.

Now this kind of issue has emerged for the first time in the state and hence party leaders have asked for a detailed input, a BJP worker told IANS.

Raje recently organised a Mewar yatra which witnessed a huge turnout.

While Raje continued saying that her yatra is non-political and has been carried out to express her condolences to those who had passed away during Covid, her political remarks and the support of her loyalists raised several questions.

"For the last one year, my daughter-in-law was unwell, and hence, I could not come to express condolences to the bereaved families and hence have come here for the same," she said during the yatra.

Meanwhile, BJP workers said that all senior workers went to express their condolences to bereaved family members of MLAs Kiran Maheshwari and Gautam Meena after they passed away months back. However Raje's timing to visit them definitely raises questions, said Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria during her visit to Udaipur.

Kataria's statement was looked upon with interest as BJP lost in two bypolls in Dhariyawad and Vallabhnagar by a huge margin. Soon after the party's loss, Raje's loyalists raised a demand to announce her as CM face for the next assembly polls and then came Raje's Mewar Yatra.

Surprisingly, Raje did not participate in any of the poll campaigns despite being listed as star campaigner. However, in between, she went to Jodhpur to express her condolences to leaders and got her selfies clicked with villagers.

"We have been attending condolence meetings but without any show-off, however, Raje's condolence meetings are filled with pomp and show; what does this indicate?" asked a party worker.

Meanwhile, came the announcement of Amit Shah's visit on December 5 which will be followed by the visit of Nadda in the coming week.

The party workers are making preparations to welcome Shah and Nadda, however, Raje seems to have been kept away from the whole thing, said a party worker, adding, "She is trying to explore the possibility of her comeback, but the party high command has been monitoring all her movements. Till date, she has not been involved in party activities for Shah's visit and now all eyes are on December 5 as to what message Shah will give to party workers," one of the party workers said.