A day before the BJP's Parivartan yatra in Rajasthan, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje is planning to go out for one –day religious yatra on September 1. She is schedule to cover temples like Charbhuja and Nathdwara in Rajsamand and Tripura Sundari in Banswara.
The Charbhuja temple has always been special to her. She had launched the previous two election campaigns – 2013 and 2018 from Charbhuja temple only. The Tripura Sundari temple also has a special place in Vasundhara's religious sphere. She never misses chance to visit the temple whenever on a trip to southern Rajasthan.
BJP has planned to kickstart first of the four political yatra from Trinetra Ganesh temple in Ranthambhore in SawaiMadhopur. The party wants to give reins of this yatra to Raje who is not interested in taking responsibility of the success of this yatra. She is said to be more comfortable in leading the second yatra which is to be launched from Beneshwar dham in Dungarpur. BJP state president C P Joshi is likely to be given command of this yatra as he belongs to southern part of the state.
Raje, however has not confirmed her participation in the parivartan yarta to be started from Trinetra Ganesh Temple.
Political tones of religious yatra
With elections round the corner, every action is being watched under political lens. This is for the first time in last 20 years of her politics in Rajasthan, Raje is not the face of BJP in any political campaign. BJP is planning to launch four yatras from different places in the state under collective leadership.
Political analysts believe that Raje by launching her religious yatra a day before the party's official campaign is the show of strength to the party. Raje like any other place in Rajasthan, has great fan following and mass support in these three temple areas where she will be visiting. By garnering mass support and pulling crowd, she is intended to give a strong message to party's central leadership.
Moreover, religious spots in her yatra coincide with the spots to be covered by the yatra led by C P Joshi.
“Raje's yatra will give a quick comparison with the yatra, which will be led by C P Joshi. She intends to make it big so that Joshi's endeavor looks petite before her yatra. She wants to make the party realise that Raje is still the Queen V of BJP.
Why Raje is reluctant in leading yatra from Sawaimadhopur
The inaugural leg of this yatra will begin from the Trinetra Ganesh temple in Ranthambore (Sawaimadhopur). Covering a span of 18 days, the yatra will traverse 47 assembly constituencies of eastern, encompassing regions including Malpura, Tonk, Niwai, Khandar, Bayana, Vair, Nadbai, Lalsot, Chaksu, Bassi, Jamwaramgarh, Viratnagar, Shahpura, Amer, Kaman, and Deoli within the Sawaimadhopur, Jaipur, and Bharatpur areas. This ambitious journey is expected to cover approximately 1,847 km.
Since the position of party is weak in this region due to dispute over Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), Vasundhara would not like to take blame for any kind of debacle party faces in this region.
The state government blames the central government and union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for delay in ERCP project, which is aimed at bringing drinking and irrigation water to 13 districts.
“Raje is a seasoned politician. She will not like to be facing the wrath of people for things she is not involved with. It will devalue her political standing in the party. Hence she is launching a religious rally separately to show the party her strength and the mass support she enjoys,” says Rameshwar Singh, a political analyst.
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