BJP TODAY

June 1--15, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 11

The Grapes of Rath

On Board Parivartan Rath: On board the air-conditioned, much-talked about Parivartan Rath, Rajasthan BJP president Vasundhara Raje practices the art of balancing. As her Man Friday Onkar Singh diligently thrusts glass after glass of chilled liquid into her hands, she gauges the momentum of the rath and then quickly gulps down the glass, pleased that just a few drops spilled out.

As the mercury slowly rises in arid Rajasthan, Raje’s Parivartan Yatra cavalcade makes its way through the heart of the tribal belt. And it’s not just a glass of water that Raje is balancing. She is trying to strike a chord with the people, most of whom don’t know who she is. She is also trying to put the dissent within the party behind her as the BJP’s election campaign takes-off.

It all began after a symbolic raj tilak at Maharana Pratap’s coronation site in Gogunda. After praying for victory, Raje began her journey last week. Dressed in clothes befitting a Rajput queen, Raje drew awe-struck crowds.

‘‘The dress creates a huge impact,’’ says state Mahila Morcha president Kiran Maheshwari, firmly pinning the pallu on Raje’s head. Despite the heat, Raje patiently dolls up inside her stuffy rath, the air-conditioning having conked off on the second day of the 12-day journey. Designated the ‘fashion designer’ for the trip, Maheshwari cajoles Raje into wearing heavy ornaments, tying the ghungroos firmly on her feet.

By the third day, the uninspiring speech and equally uninspiring response on the first day of the much-talked-about yatra were forgotten. Unable to connect with the people at the flag-off rally in Charbhuja, Raje has slowly started reaching out to the people of Udaipur and Dungarpur districts. ‘‘I was not very comfortable speaking in Charbhuja because I couldn’t make eye contact with the people. But reaching out to people in smaller gatherings is my forte.’’

After the tepid response, Raje is slowly drawing crowds. ‘‘In a Congress stronghold, where villagers are scattered, to get 500 people in a remote village is remarkable,’’ says BJP MLA Rohtas Sharma, who won the recent by-election from Bansur.

Everywhere she goes, the crowds trickle in. At every scheduled stop, Raje reaches out to the women and asks for the blessings of the elders. Starting with how pleased she is to see the turnout of women, Raje says: ‘‘I have come from a big family. I have no needs, no worries. But I have come amidst you because I consider you to be my family and am concerned about your well-being.’’

Perturbed by the ‘‘negative publicity’’ her rath got, she also makes it a point to mention how it is not as luxurious as it is made out to be. Calling it a truck, she invites a few villagers in for a guided tour of the tiny rath, pointing out that the air-conditioning doesn’t work.

After the ‘Maharani in the Sun’ bit, she gets cracking on the Ashok Gehlot government. ‘‘The government that you voted to power is not providing you anything. No power, no water. Instead they are giving you slips of paper, saying that you will get grain against them. But it’s been months and there is no sign of the promised grain. Do they expect you to fill your stomachs with slips of paper,’’ she questions, managing to catch the attention of a group of turbaned villagers in Jaswantgadh.

On one occasion, Raje’s rath is waylaid near Bichiwada and angry villagers tell her that if the yatra is about votes then she can forget it. Complaining about how bad their condition is, they ask her to help. While Raje promptly says that its not her job since her party is not in power, other BJP members tactfully console the villagers and reassure them.

Meanwhile, off the beaten path, as the Eicher Canter bounces along, the BJP’s state think tank hold on firmly as they plan strategy. Ignoring the Hindutva agenda, for the time being, Raje and her handpicked team are sticking to the drought.

Following Raje all through the 12,380 km journey across the length and breadth of the state are a group of people trying to find out if she is getting it right. Over the next 90-odd days, BJP’s ‘‘fact-finding’’ team will follow the rath, gauging the response of the people. ‘‘By the time I am through with this I will have a wealth of information,’’ Raje says. ‘‘Then I will be able to plan my agenda for the state.’’

(Courtesy Indian Express)