BJP aims high after lengthy stay in Bharatpur

JAIPUR: Riding high on the popularity chart with a historic win in the recent assembly polls, chief minister Vasundhara Raje took her 'governance to your door-step' to a new level.
Never before had the entire cabinet camped at a divisional headquarters for 11 days. And, the entire exercise culminated in a host of announcements, most of them reportedly neglected for years.
The Raje government did try to begin from where they had left in 2008. A similar exercise was held in all the other six divisional headquarters during the first tenure of the Raje government. However, the earlier exercise was organised at the divisional headquarters either on January 26 or August 15 and was usually restricted to four days. For the first time ever, public hearings were held in over 900 gram panchayats by members and officials while the state government directed officials to cover the 300-plus villages which were left out.
"Political mileage was not and will never be the agenda for the 'Sarkar Aapke Dwar' campaign. In November 2008, just before the December 2008 assembly polls, we had announced that when we come back to power, we would first go to Bharatpur as part of the campaign. That is exactly what we have done. Recent assembly elections have nothing to do with it,'' says a minister. However, announcements for the local development are seen as a major boost to party's aim of winning all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the forthcoming general elections.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Bharatpur might be the only division covered as part of the campaign. The next phase in another division is likely to be held on August 15 after the general elections. The ruling party, identifying this as a big chance, has worked over time in Bharatpur. The campaign might not last as long as this one in other divisions.
Bharatpur is the smallest and newest division. The division compromises four districts - Bharatpur, Karauli, Dholpur and Sawai Madhopur. Of the 19 assembly constituencies in the area, the BJP has won on 12, only a little better than the 10 it had won in 2008. The performance in the other divisions has been far better - the tally in Ajmer division rising to 27 from 11 on 29 seats, in Bikaner it rising to 17 from 10 of 24 and in Jaipur the seats going up to 36 from 19 of 50 seats.
Similarly, the party gained ground in Udaipur where it had won only six of the 28 seats in 2008 but won in 25 in 2013 and in Jodhpur it has to its credit 30 of the 33 seats as in 2008 it had won only 15. In Kota too, the party registered an impressive win with its performance winning 16 of the total 17, nine more than what it had in 2008.
The ruling party faced one of the most unexpected defeats when Dr Digambar Singh, a senior leader, lost from Deeg-Kumher in Bharatpur. With Singh being seen as one of the prospective candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the campaign is expected to help him gain lost ground in the area.