JAIPUR: It’s now evident in BJP circles as well as outside that Vasundhara Raje does not matter for the party as much as the victory in Rajasthan – a maneuvering that aims to fix internal factionalism and simultaneously strike at the main adversary in a surgical manner.
Starting on September 2, the party will kick off four Parivartan Yatras from four major religious sites across Rajasthan. The BJP has tasted success twice via political journeying, with Raje leading the saffron charge. However, this time neither Raje nor any other leader will lead such yatras in the state.
What distinguishes this particular yatra is the lack of emphasis on any singular leader. Instead, the party has entrusted leaders with distinct responsibilities for this campaign. The BJP refrained from selecting a prominent figurehead to lead the yatra, a strategy departure from previous approaches.
The inaugural leg of this journey will begin from the Trinetra Ganesh temple in Ranthambore (Sawaimadhopur). It will be led by BJP chief JP Nadda flagging off the event. Covering a span of 18 days, the yatra will traverse 47 assembly constituencies, 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.
As the competition for the CM’s chair remains fierce among contenders like former CM Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, state party chief CP Joshi, leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathod, and others, it appears that a party decision on this is unlikely to be made before the assembly polls.
Should the BJP secure power, the final decision on the CM will be made by the top leadership. Arun Chaturvedi, the coordinator of the yatra, said that this time, the campaign does not revolve around an individual leader. Instead, the faces of the yatra are the BJP party and PM Modi himself. He emphasised that this journey is not representative of any individual’s agenda but is a collective voyage representing the general public