New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will flag off the first two legs of the party’s Parivartan Yatra in poll-bound Rajasthan on 2 and 3 September, respectively.
According to party sources, the BJP had initially planned for its state leaders — former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former state BJP chief Satish Poonia, and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among others — to lead different legs of the yatra, but this plan was shelved at the last minute to prevent infighting within the party’s state unit.
Instead, sources added, it was decided that central leaders would kick off various legs of the yatra, which involve outreach to various sections of the population in Rajasthan.
However, this seems to have had a side-effect: party workers affiliated with ‘different camps’ within the Rajasthan BJP are not showing much interest in the yatra upon learning that the various legs will not be flagged off by their respective leaders.
“There are so many camps within the Rajasthan BJP and now that individual state leaders are not leading different legs of the yatra, their workers are also not showing much enthusiasm. Abhi mahol nahin ban paaya hai (we are yet to create a favourable environment),” a senior Rajasthan BJP leader told ThePrint.
Covering a total distance of 9,000 km, the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra will likely conclude on 25 September with a public meeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jaipur.
The first leg of the yatra will be flagged off by BJP president J.P. Nadda on 2 September at Trinetra Ganesha Temple in Sawai Madhopur. Covering a distance of 1,847 km across 47 assembly constituencies, it will conclude in Jaipur.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will flag off the second leg at Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur on 3 September. This leg will cover 2,433 km across 52 assembly constituencies before concluding in Kota city.
The third leg, from Ramdevra temple in Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, will be flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 4 September and will cover 51 assembly constituencies. And the fourth leg, from Gogamedi temple in Hanumangarh to Alwar, will be flagged off by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on 5 September, covering a distance of 2,128 km across 50 assembly constituencies.
‘Putting forward one face may upset other leaders’
Explaining the rationale behind the party’s decision to not task any one state leader with overseeing either of the four legs of the yatra, a senior central BJP leader told ThePrint that “factionalism” was a major factor.
“Putting forward any one face may upset other leaders. The party took the step to avoid this, especially ahead of the elections. The high command does not want any differences to come to the fore before the elections,” he said.
A Rajasthan BJP leader, meanwhile, said since state leaders have not been given any specific responsibilities, they are steering clear of involvement in the preparations.
“Vasundhara Raje is the BJP’s national vice president, the high command has not given her any major responsibility before the assembly elections. Naturally, her supporters are quite angry with the way she is being treated,” he said.
“Even regarding the Parivartan Yatra, the party has not given her any major responsibility. She has been the chief minister in the past and is a seasoned leader. Rather than seeking her help in countering the Gehlot government, the party is busy alienating workers further,” the leader added.
Another source in Rajasthan BJP also said that though Raje will take part in the yatra, she has been keeping a low profile and even decided to stay away from the ‘Maha Gherao’ organised by the Rajasthan BJP on 1 August to corner the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on various issues.
“She (Raje) will attend the yatra as it is a party programme but it is high time they announce the campaign committee head if they want to defeat the Congress. Rather than pitting Prime Minister Modi against Gehlot, he (Modi) should be used selectively in the election campaign. There is still some hope that by the end of the month, the party will finally decide whether to declare her (Raje) as chief of the campaign committee. That will make things much simpler for the party and the workers,” said the source.
Narayan Panchariya, coordinator for the BJP’s election management committee in Rajasthan, told ThePrint that while the four legs of the yatra will be flagged off by different central leaders, they will then be taken forward by two state-level leaders, each of whom will be accompanied by a central leader.
Panchariya also emphasised that the party never made an official announcement about its earlier plan to task state BJP leaders with overseeing the various legs of the yatra.
“The yatra will begin with J.P. Nadda’s rally. After this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the second leg. As far as the entire exercise is concerned, two state-level and a central leader will lead the yatra across designated places. State leaders will keep changing as the yatra will progress,” he said.
Asked whether Raje will participate in the yatra amid speculation about her being upset over not being involved in its preparations, Panchariya claimed that it was the Rajasthan Congress that was “trying to create confusion with such statements”.
“Vasundhara ji is our leader and will attend all legs of the yatra. We rely on her guidance as she is such an experienced leader. The reason so many of our leaders will be part of this yatra is because we have so many leaders, unlike the Rajasthan Congress. The entire BJP team is working together,” Panchariya said.
He added that through this yatra, the BJP aims to interact with women, Dalits, farmers and the youth in Rajasthan where polls are to be held later this year. “There is immense anger among the masses and they want a change (of government),” he said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: BJP prepares list of 50 ‘weak’ assembly seats in Rajasthan, may field ‘sitting MPs, Congress rebels’