Vasundhara Raje’s face was removed from BJP posters two months ago (File)
jaipur:
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s face was plastered back on BJP posters two months after she found no place on new posters hung outside the party office in the capital Jaipur.
Posters made for the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, which were created by Union Minister of Labor Bhupendra Yadav, feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party Chairman JP Nadda, Vasundhara Raje, Gajendra Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary.
The Yatra, across 22 states, tries to introduce the new central ministers to the people.
The removal of the two-time Chief Minister from the party posters had led to reports of factionalism in the party.
A few days ago, while visiting Jhalawar, Ms Raje first spoke about the issue and said that she does not believe in the politics of posters but wants to live in the hearts of the people.
The Yatra, which departed from Alwar’s Bhiwadi on Thursday, will cover a distance of more than 400 km in three days.
Bhupendra Yadav and other leaders will communicate with people in 40 places in Alwar, Jaipur and Ajmer. For BJP, the Yatra is also a way to increase the party’s power in the state.
Mr Yadav, recently inducted into the Modi cabinet, was chosen as the face of the Yatra in Rajasthan. He is the Rajya Sabha MP from Ajmer.
“Our team is doing a good job in Rajasthan and we are confident that we will form the government here in the next elections,” said Bhupendra Yadav.
The Yatra’s mission is the 2023 elections, but as Bhupendra Yadav becomes the face instead of other MPs such as Gajendra Shekhawat or Arjun Ram Meghwal, questions have been raised as to whether the party wants to position him as a new face of the party in the stands.
“I am not a claimant (of the post). These speculations are unfounded,” Mr Yadav said, brushing aside such rumours.
Mr Yadav, who is best known for his organizational skills in the party, is considered to have a close relationship with both Prime Minister Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah.
Although Vasundhara Raje did not attend the Yatra, her return to BJP posters is a recognition by the party of its popular appeal and telegraphed a message of unity for state unity torn by factionalism.
