Jaiput: The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Rajasthan have started their preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the Congress has reportedly scheduled a screening committee meeting in Delhi on February 16, the BJP also has a national executive meeting lined up in the national capital on February 17-18.
However, there is a big difference between the approach of the party leaders of the Congress and the BJP.
While most of the senior Congress leaders have expressed their reluctance to contest the Lok Sabha elections at the committee meeting held on February 9, the BJP leaders are willing to contest the polls irrespective of from where they are fielded.
The Congress drew a blank in the last two general elections in Rajasthan, as the BJP swept all the 25 seats in offing in 2014 before clinching 24 seats 2019, while one seat went to its ally RLP.
The situation with regard to the Lok Sabha elections will be clear after the meeting of both the parties to be held in Delhi by the end of this week.
According to Congress sources, the party wants former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, exs-Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi, senior leaders Govind Singh Dotasra, Harish Chaudhary, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Chandna, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Raghuveer Meena, Ramlal Jat, Brijendra Ola, Pratap Singh Khachariya to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Congress’ state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa himself had said in Jaipur that the party wants to give a strong contest by fielding these leaders in the general elections.
However, according to sources, most of these big names are reportedly not that keen to contest the elections.
While some have reportedly cited health reasons, the others have said they want to ‘bring forward the new generation’.
Now at the meeting to be held on February 16, it will be interesting to see if the Congress high-command asks these leaders to contest the polls.
Meanwhile, unlike the grand old party, BJP leaders are all excited and confident of winning all the 25 seats in Rajasthan.
The party is confident of making a clean sweep due to its initiatives like the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra and Gaon Chalo Abhiyaan, among others, said former Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Pancheria.
“All the senior leaders, including CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, are visiting villages and discussing local issues with the villagers. They are meeting the beneficiaries of different Central schemes. We are holding ‘Chaupals’ involving the farmers in the villages. In fact, people are already raising the slogan ‘Teesri Baar Modi sarkar’,” he said.
When asked if new faces will be fielded in the Lok Sabha polls, Pancheria said, “The top party leadership will decide on this, and the local leaders shall abide by the decisions. Ours is a disciplined party and we follow the guidelines issued by the senior leaders.”
–IANS