BJP leaders seek to re-connect with grassroots workers in Rajasthan

With assembly elections due by the year end, Rajasthan's ruling BJP, reeling under poll defeats and demands for a leadership change, plans to have its senior leaders tour districts to re-engage with and revitalise grassroots workers.

While the party lost the Ajmer and Alwar parliamentary seats and Mandalgarh assembly seats in the bypolls, a party member from Kota wrote to party chief Amit Shah requesting him to change the state leadership - a demand also expressed by legislator Gyan Dev Ahuja. Then in Jhunjhunu, a section of crowd displayed black flags to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In wake of all this, the BJP planned to make direct connect with its grassroots workers, and senior leaders will tour different districts in next 10 days to take stock of their problems.

BJP state media chief Anand Sharma said a total of 29 senior leaders, including ministers, will be making the tours till the end of March with state unit chief Ashok Parnami launching the venture with his three-day visit from Bikaner on Thursday.

BJP National Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna told IANS that the major mission under this plan will be to work on booth management, and make people aware about the "ambitious schemes" launched by the state government.

"We will also call regular meetings to know about the challenges being faced by our workers," added Khanna, who will be touring Jaipur and other rural areas next week.

However, he denied that the workers are demotivated at any level. "We are a party of hardworking members. We were happy when we had two seats and we are happy when we have 300 seats," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress, enthused after its bypoll wins and confident of regaining power in the state, dismissed the BJP's measure.

State Congress Vice President Archana Sharma said the BJP leaders' tours will not help the party which has already lost its trust among the unemployed, women, farmers and youth. "No matter what it tries, it will not attain success as it is like a dried crop which can't be brought back to life."

--IANS

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