Political circles are abuzz with rumours of a simmering tussle between two BJP leaders — Jyoti Mirdha and Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar — both of whom hail from Nagaur. Mirdha, the granddaughter of Congress stalwart and Jat leader Nathuram Mirdha, joined the saffron party just before the last Lok Sabha elections. And she is keen to carve out her own space in the region. However, Khimsar — a heavyweight from the Rajput community — isn’t pleased about it. Insiders claim the rivalry isn’t just about political turf but also the old Rajput-Jat conflict that has shaped Rajasthan’s power dynamics throughout history.
HC turns up the heat on admn amid heatwave
As Rajasthan reels under a brutal heatwave, the high court is turning up the heat on the authorities concerned for failing to formulate measures to tackle the situation. It has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and ordered the registration of a PIL to address the issue. Coming down heavily on the lax attitude of the administration, the court said, “Humans can’t be treated like animals. And a lack of funds isn’t an excuse to risk lives.” Justice AK Dhand noted that some parts of the state are sizzling at 50.5 degrees Celsius. The court also ordered the Chief Secretary to form a coordination committee and issue a heatwave action plan.
Congress’s lacklustre protest over Herald chargesheet
Congress workers across the country have been up in arms over the naming of senior party leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. But the Rajasthan Congress’ failure to lodge a strong protest in the matter has caused the grand old party much embarrassment. The protest in Jalore was a damp squib, as only 20 workers showed up. The rallies held in other districts weren’t any bigger. Critics pilloried the party for its failure to mobilise its own workers behind the Gandhis. After facing heavy trolling, the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee quietly deleted pics of the protests.
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com