BJP on back foot with no star campaigners
The battle for Sardarshahar by-elections in Churu district has begun but BJP’s task is not easy. The absence of star campaigners including former CM Vasundhara Raje is a major setback. The result of the BJP’s internal tussle is that Raje has already cut herself away with a few days left for campaigning to stop. Party President Satish Poonia is busy campaigning in the Gujarat polls. He is considered to be from the anti-Raje faction. Sources say Raje who was kept out of the list of star campaigners for Gujarat is said to be upset over her omission. she has distanced herself from election campaigning over past few years.
Gehlot starts assembly poll preparations
CM Ashok Gehlot has created a storm within Congress by calling Sachin Pilot a ‘traitor’ just before the entry of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state. But even as the political turmoil grips Rajasthan, Gehlot is preparing for the assembly elections due next year. There are speculations that the last budget of his government will be presented in January itself. The cabinet secretariat has issued instructions to deliver the requirements to the administrative department by December 20. It is believed that this time Gehlot can make big announcements in the budget to please every section especially the youth.
Housing Board wins SKOCH ‘Gold’ Award
The Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) has been awarded the SKOCH ‘Gold’ Award-2022 for the second consecutive year for innovations & rejuvenation. Earlier, during the BJP government, RHB was in a bad condition but since the present Congress government gave the reins of the board in the hands of Commissioner of the Board IAS Pawan Arora, it has had a turnaround. Arora said that in the past years innovations like ‘Wednesday auction festival’, building a coaching hub, MLA housing and CM Jan Awas Yojana, and other administrative reforms enabled the RHB to get awarded.
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com