Women's issues dominate Raje’s first public meeting

It was an unlikely sight on Sunday morning across the 80-kilometre-long stretch from Nathdwara to Gogunda, the tribal heartland of Rajasthan.

Long rows of cars and swanky SUVs slithered through the snaking hilly tracts, places which once used to be Maharana Pratap’s home turf.

Treading on this route on Sunday was Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, on board of a hi-tech ‘rath’ ready to address her first public meeting after the launch of the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra.

“The girls who got scooties will raise their hands...There you are!” Raje said to a jam-packed audience in the public meeting in Gogunda, looking at the veiled figures of tribal women, who had come in large numbers to hear her.

The resulting applause was thunderous, as the chief minister listed out all the achievements of her government in the past four years, making a case for the BJP’s return to power in the Assembly elections later this year.

“Developmental works that the Congress couldn’t complete in the last 40 years, we have been able to do in the past four and half years,” said Raje, targeting the opposition, who has announced that they will ask 40 questions every day throughout the yatra.

Amidst the sea of crowd, one could spot the saffron bands of the BJP sported by many in the audience, as they cheered throughout the course of her speech.

Halfway through the meeting, it was clear that Raje wanted to strike a chord with people from all age groups and areas who had come to see her.

‘Rajasthan to have women chief minister once again’ (BOX)

Addressing thousands of women draped in traditional Rajasthani odhnis, Raje said“By seeing such large number of women in my first public meeting, gives me a feeling that Rajasthan will once again have a women chief minister after the elections.”

Focus on cows

A couple of hours later, after flying to Khelwara in a helicopter, Raje said that her government is opening Nandi Shala for well keeping of bulls in all 33 districts and the work will be completed by end of this month.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the chief minister said that the previous government had spent Rs. 300 crore on bovines and their protection while the incumbent regime has increased it to Rs 1,000 crore.

Several local and state leaders were present during the public meetings including state BJP president Madan Lal Saini, Udaipur MP Arjun Lal Meena, higher education minister and Rajsamand MLA Kiran Maheshwari, former BJP president Ashok Parnami.

On her first day of yatra Raje used rath (bus) and helicopter to reach five villages for public meetings. The fourty day yatra was flagged off by BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday.