An undercurrent of unease, suspicion against Raje govt

Jaipur: Growing signs of anti-incumbency against the BJP government in Rajasthan are making the ruling party’s ministers and legislators get cold feet ahead of the Assembly elections later this year.

Only a couple of days ago, none other than senior MLA and chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s loyalist, Bhawani Singh Rajawat, declared that he was feeling suffocated in the BJP.

There also have been incidents of a few saffron ministers and MLAs losing their cool while facing angry crowds complaining about lack of development or asking tough questions.

In some cases, the politicos used foul language.

What’s more, chief minister Vasundhara Raje is herself showing signs of frustration, claim political rivals.

Expressing unhappiness over the defeat in recent bypolls on three seats — two Lok Sabha and one Assembly — the chief minister recently said, “People forget when the work is done.”

The chief minister also said that she did not care about people who criticise, but at the same time she felt quite embarrassed in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when black flags were waived and her speech was disrupted by constant sloganeering during the PM’s public meeting in Jhunjhunu two months ago. With the help of CCTV footage, the protesters were arrested and an IG level officer was asked to probe the matter.  

Home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, known for his emotional outbursts, has also had some controversial encounters with public.

During a visit to his hometown Udaipur last month, Mr Kataria was beseeched by a group of women who wanted a wine shop to be closed in their locality. Failing to get a firm assurance, they told him that in the upcoming Assembly elections, they would not vote for him.

This proved to be the last straw for the home minister who had already faced black flags of his party workers.

“Mat dena mujhe vote. Kuye mein dal dena. (Fine, don’t give me vote, throw it in a well),” he snapped back.

To make matters worse, Makrana MLA Sriram Bhichar courted controversy while confronting an unhappy voter in his constituency. In a video that went viral, a person tells him that he is a voter and the MLA would need his vote again, Mr Bhichar replied, “I don’t need your vote, put it in you’re a**.”

Earlier, Sridungargarh MLA Kisnaram hurled abuses at some women voters who  had come to seek his help in resolving drinking water crisis. Instead of helping them, the MLA got irritated when the women sat on a protest outside his house. He used expletives against them. All this was recorded on camera.

Political obervers claim that   much of the public anger is due to the government’s failure to fulfil its promises and the indifferent MLAs have  added insult to injury

 Businessman Sumer Singh from Jhotwara constituency in Jaipur vows not to vote for the BJP if it fields incumbent Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, a senior minister in the Raje government.

“He doesn’t listen to us. Rather he throws tantrums when someone goes to him with a problem,” Mr Singh rued.

According to former Congress MP Mahesh Joshi, the BJP leaders’ attitude reflects arrogance and frustration.

“The least public representatives can do is to show some courtesy to the people who vote for them. Unfortunately, the BJP has always been insensitive to people’s concerns and opinions. Now, their statements and behaviour are showing their frustration because it has become clear to them that they are not coming back to power,” Mr Joshi said.

The tenure of the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly ends on January 20, 2019. The EC is likely to hold elections in the state along with two other BJP-ruled states, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

In 2013, the BJP had won 163 seats in Rajasthan Assembly with a vote share of 45.2 per cent.