BJP launches 25 raths in Raj to collect suggestions from public for election manifesto

The BJP on Wednesday flagged off a fleet of 25 'raths' for its 'Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat, Modi Ke Saath' campaign in Rajasthan to seek suggestions from the public for the party's Lok Sabha election manifesto. However, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot termed the campaign as "politics of jumla" and said that it will not work in the polls.

The BJP 'raths' carrying suggestion boxes will travel across all the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Union MoS for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore launched 25 specially designed vehicles.

"The raths will travel across all the Lok Sabha constituencies. The public will be able to drop their suggestions for the party manifesto in the boxes in the 'raths'. The suggestions will be forwarded to senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh in New Delhi for inclusion in the manifesto," Rathore said. "India has a large young population and we are inviting the youth and every citizen of the country for giving their suggestions. The government has always maintained a two-way communication with the public, be it for policy-making or any other programme," he said.

Gehlot claimed that the Congress' victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls has created anxiety among the BJP leaders and they have lost their self-control. "The BJP only gave 'jumlas' in elections and again they are doing the same. This is also a 'jumla' which will not work as the party has been exposed before the public," he said while commenting on the BJP's 'Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat, Modi Ke Saath' campaign.

"The Congress has already started preparations at the national level for the Lok Sabha elections," he told reporters at the PCC office here.