Former CM Vasundhara Raje had an unusual Rakshabandhan gift in mind from senior BJP leader Rajpal Singh Shekhawat: a promise to quit gutkha. A video of their light-hearted exchange is doing rounds on social media. Shekhawat, a former urban development and housing minister, had visited Raje to get a rakhi tied. When it was time for the customary gift, Raje pointed to the gutkha in his hand and asked him to hand it over—and promise not to consume it again. “Gutkha no more,” Shekhawat replied, drawing laughter from those present. Shekhawat is regarded as a Raje loyalist. He was denied a BJP ticket from Jhotwara in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections.
Spotlight on BJP and Congress power centres
Municipal election ticket distribution has stirred political gossip, with the exercise in both the BJP and Congress appearing to revolve around two leaders each. In the BJP, CM Bhajanlal Sharma and state president Madan Rathore led repeated meetings and ward-wise discussions. The absence of Vasundhara Raje and Satish Poonia, who was touring Punjab and Haryana, did not go unnoticed. In the Congress, state president Govind Singh Dotasara and LoP Tikaram Julie took centre stage, holding meetings with district in-charges. Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, CP Joshi and Jitendra Singh stayed away from the exercise.
Wife of CM’s OSD gets BJP ticket for civic poll
Jaipur’s civic ticket drama has delivered an unexpected twist: ex-mayor Jyoti Khandelwal, once a Congress Lok Sabha candidate, is back as a BJP candidate for a municipal ward. Khandelwal began her career as a councillor before becoming Jaipur’s first woman mayor and later contesting the Lok Sabha elections. She joined the BJP ahead of the 2023 assembly polls. Her return to a ward-level contest has sparked chatter over whether the BJP wants her to prove her strength from the grassroots. Adding to the buzz, ex-mayor Kusum Yadav was denied a ticket, while wife of the CM’s officer on special duty got one.
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com