indianexpress.com :: Raje will be 'Bhavi Mukhyamantri': BJP

Raje will be 'Bhavi Mukhyamantri': BJP

Agencies

Posted online: Monday, January 07, 2008 at 0000 hrs IST

Jaipur, January 7:
Presenting a picture of bonhomie after recent reports of tussle between the two, BJP's Rajasthan unit chief Omprakash Mathur on Monday announced that incumbent Vasundhara Raje will be the party's Chief Ministerial candidate in the state Assembly election scheduled to be held later this year.

"The party high command has directed that the assembly polls would be led by present Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and she would be the 'Bhavi Mukhyamantri' (future Chief minister)," party's newly-appointed state unit president Mathur said in Jaipur.

"Only ten months are left for the polls...everyone should pledge that the party should return to power with more than 120 seats, that we have now in the assembly," he said at a function which was organised to felicitate him for being appointed the state unit president.

Rajasthan has a 200-member Assembly.

He appealed to party men to spread the message of developmental carried out by the Raje government and reach every poll-booth to ensure vote for the party.

Addressing the function, Chief Minister Raje said they would convert Rajasthan into a "BJP state" like Gujarat.

"It would be a BJP state like Gujarat...and each of us sitting -- the leaders and functionaries -- would protect the interest of people as a tigress does to save her cubs from poachers," she said adding "I have no doubts about (BJP's) victory and win more than 120 seats".

She also dismissed media reports about her "resentment" over appointment of Mathur as state unit president as "exaggerated" and said "we are all one and united to contest the next assembly polls to return to power".

After Mathur's appointment last week there were reports that Raje was not happy but the issue was understood to have sorted out in a meeting between Raje and BJP president Rajnath Singh.

Mathur also played down the reports of differences between him and Chief Minister Raje.

"Polls are fought on the shoulders of workers, not just on party functionaries like President or Chief Minister. Hence, I will remain a worker and I should be treated as worker," he said.

Mathur said no district cell and frontal organisations would be dissolved but the responsibilities might be changed.

Raje said she was happy from the day Mathur was appointed as party chief and had gone to Delhi to give new year greetings and take blessings of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior leader L K Advani and party President Rajnath Singh and not to oppose his appointment.

"Media exaggerated the facts...I am not afraid of newspapers, nor TV but I am scared of party workers. I and Mathur would work together with workers to ensure victory," she said.

Raje also praised senior party leader Jaswant Singh, with whom she reportedly had differences, saying he (Singh) rightly had said in his new year greetings that "the party does not belong to a person...but of workers".

BJP's Rajasthan unit chief Gopinath Munde, who was also present in the function, said under the leadership of Raje, and Mathur, the party would ensure victory.

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Raje will be 'Bhavi Mukhyamantri': BJP Agencies Posted online: Monday, January 07, 2008 at 0000 hrs IST Jaipur, January 7: Presenting a picture of bonhomie after recent reports of tussle between the two, BJP's Rajasthan unit chief Omprakash Mathur on Monday announced that incumbent Vasundhara Raje will be the party's Chief Ministerial candidate in the state Assembly election scheduled to be held later this year. "The party high command has directed that the assembly polls would be led by present Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and she would be the 'Bhavi Mukhyamantri' (future Chief minister)," party's newly-appointed state unit president Mathur said in Jaipur. "Only ten months are left for the polls...everyone should pledge that the party should return to power with more than 120 seats, that we have now in the assembly," he said at a function which was organised to felicitate him for being appointed the state unit president. Rajasthan has a 200-member Assembly. He appealed to party men to spread the message of developmental carried out by the Raje government and reach every poll-booth to ensure vote for the party. Addressing the function, Chief Minister Raje said they would convert Rajasthan into a "BJP state" like Gujarat. "It would be a BJP state like Gujarat...and each of us sitting -- the leaders and functionaries -- would protect the interest of people as a tigress does to save her cubs from poachers," she said adding "I have no doubts about (BJP's) victory and win more than 120 seats". She also dismissed media reports about her "resentment" over appointment of Mathur as state unit president as "exaggerated" and said "we are all one and united to contest the next assembly polls to return to power". After Mathur's appointment last week there were reports that Raje was not happy but the issue was understood to have sorted out in a meeting between Raje and BJP president Rajnath Singh. Mathur also played down the reports of differences between him and Chief Minister Raje. "Polls are fought on the shoulders of workers, not just on party functionaries like President or Chief Minister. Hence, I will remain a worker and I should be treated as worker," he said. Mathur said no district cell and frontal organisations would be dissolved but the responsibilities might be changed. Raje said she was happy from the day Mathur was appointed as party chief and had gone to Delhi to give new year greetings and take blessings of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior leader L K Advani and party President Rajnath Singh and not to oppose his appointment. "Media exaggerated the facts...I am not afraid of newspapers, nor TV but I am scared of party workers. I and Mathur would work together with workers to ensure victory," she said. Raje also praised senior party leader Jaswant Singh, with whom she reportedly had differences, saying he (Singh) rightly had said in his new year greetings that "the party does not belong to a person...but of workers". BJP's Rajasthan unit chief Gopinath Munde, who was also present in the function, said under the leadership of Raje, and Mathur, the party would ensure victory.