Parallel public rallies by Raje, Raj BJP chief Poonia; Party dismisses talk of infighting

With Rajasthan Assembly polls due later this year, a rally by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Churu and an anti-government protest march in Jaipur by BJP state president Satish Poonia over paper leaks on Saturday were being seen as a show of strength by the two leaders of the opposition party.

Amid talk of a turf war between party leaders, BJP in charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh, however, told reporters that it was not uncommon to have multiple programmes in a day and asserted that there is no infighting in the BJP.

“The BJP stands united. It is Congress that is disunited. The Congress leaders target each other,” he said.

After offering prayers at the famous Salasar Balaji temple in Churu, the home district of Poonia, Raje addressed a public rally where she targeted the Congress dispensation and highlighted the achievements of her government while calling upon the people to vote the BJP to power.

Her supporters said Raje has been holding programmes at religious places on her birthday - March 8 - but this year, Dhulandi (Holi) was being celebrated on that day so the birthday celebrations were held in advance.

Several leaders of the party including former BJP state president Ashok Parnami, former ministers Rajpal Singh and Yunus Khan, Churu MP Rahul Kaswan, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra, MLA Kalicharan Saraf, Deepti Maheshwari, Pratap Singh Singhvi, etc. were present in the programme.

Posters wishing Raje on her birthday appeared outside the party office in Jaipur and at various places in the capital city. The posters had photos of PM Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda.

In Jaipur, BJP state president Satish Poonia, deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and other leaders in the presence of Arun Singh led the protest march against repeated paper leak incidents.

The protest was organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Before the march, the BJP leaders including Poonia and Arun Singh addressed the workers from the stage set up outside the party office.

Earlier in the day, Raje offered prayers at the Salasar Balaji temple with her son and Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh and others At the rally, Raje said, ''I am walking as a soldier of the organisation under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the leadership of national president JP Nadda and taking you along.'' ''The lamp of Balaji's faith and the lamp of your blessings which I have lit cannot be extinguished by any storm... no matter how much attempts,'' Raje said Attacking the Congress government, Raje said that the tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot has pushed the state backwards.

She alleged that corruption and illegal mining had hit the state hard. Raje also cornered the government over the law and order situation in the state.

In Jaipur, Arun Singh, Poonia, deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and other leaders addressed the Yuva Akrosh Rally organised by the BJP's youth wing BJYM.

The party leaders targeted the Congress government on the issue of paper leaks and called upon the people to vote the BJP to power in the assembly elections.

Led by Poonia, the protesters marched towards the chief minister's residence but the police stopped them by putting up barricades. They moved to Sahkar Bhawan road following which the police used water cannons to disperse them.

Poonia alleged the Congress government was ''resorting to oppression because it is afraid that the BJP is raising its voice against injustice to the youth and unemployed''.

He said the BJP will carry out protests in all district collectorates from March 15 to March 30.