BJP goes all out to placate sulking Vasundhara

Apparently realising that her absence from the campaigning may seriously dent the party’s electoral prospects in the forthcoming assembly poll in Rajasthan, which are scheduled to take place in November/December this year, the BJP leadership in the desert state is leaving no stone un-turned to placate former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.

As part of the patch up efforts, union minister and senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called on Vasundhara at her residence on Sunday evening and discussed with her the preparations for prime minister Narendra Modi's scheduled mega event in Jaipur later today.

Modi's mega rally today will be formal launching of the BJP's campaign for the state elections. Modi will be addressing the party’s "Parivartan Maha Sammelan" in Jaipur. The event marks the culmination of the BJP's four-phase "Parivartan Yatras", led by senior party leaders across Rajasthan, which travelled across all 200 assembly constituencies to build momentum for the party ahead of the state elections.

Incidentally Vasundhara had skipped the Yatra on her home turf in Jhalawar and Kota in the last two days. Shekhawat's sudden visit, triggering political buzz, is being seen as a courtesy call to send out a message that Vasundhara Raje is on board with the BJP, and happy to be part of the combined leadership formula of the Parivartan Yatra.

The two leaders have not been close ever since Raje opposed Shekhawat's appointment as BJP chief in Rajasthan in 2018 saying it would distance the jaat community from the party in the 2018 elections.

The mega rally in Dadiya in Sanganer, 16 km south of Jaipur, today will also see the PM take part in a public meeting on the passing of the women's reservation bill. The BJP's women's wing has been tasked with organising the event. They will command 42 blocks of the "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha", and also shower flower petals on the PM has he reaches the stage in an open jeep.

Before the rally, the PM will pay respects to Deendayal Upadhyaya at a memorial constructed at his native place in Dhankya Village, about 40 kms from the venue.