Finally, after days of lull in the Reodar constituency, the campaigning for assembly elections on December 1 began on Tuesday with the rally of BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje Scindia in the Abu Road town.

Addressing a gathering of about thousand people, she took on the congress for its poor development records. Avoiding any personal attacks on the congress party or its high command, the Gandhi family, she pitched her five year rule against congress’s 53 years with ‘vikas’ (development) being the leitmotif in the entire speech. 

 “You have given 53 years to one party, one family and even then you know the kind of development this place has seen in these years. As against these 53 years you gave only 5 years to the BJP and people still remember the development that took place in those five years. If we had ruled for 53 years, you can imagine where Rajasthan would have reached,” she said. 

Reminding the voters of the work she had done for the Abu road, under her rule, she said there were several projects that the people still remember her for: Battisa Nalla that links the hilly region with the plains, the railway overbridge that connects Abu Road with the tourist destination Mount Abu and Rs 700-crore Narmada water supply project. 

Mocking the congress she said it had declared its current manifesto without completing those that were listed in the last one.  “In its 2008 manifesto, it had declared that it would create new districts, would not hike power tariff, would give employment to ten lakh unemployed, and several others. But none of these have been fulfilled she said. Recounting her own reign, she said, she used to carry monthly review of her poll promises and had ensured that they got carried out.

With an eye on women voters, she said the security of women had worsened under congress rule and that ministers in the government had been accused of misconduct. “Five ministers in the congress government have been accused of molestation and other crime against women. How can you trust such a government,” she said.

Attacking the government for its inability to control price rise she said Inflation came tied with congress’s apron. “Whenever the congress is in power the prices of onion, tomato rise phenomenally,” she said. 

She promised that if the voters gave her another chance to rule the state, she would begin where she had left in her last tenure, and would ensure the people of Rajasthan get uninterrupted power and water supply, smooth roads, and employment for the unemployed youths.

In an effort to milk the popularity of the Gujarat chief minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi she said, if people wanted Rajasthan to become as good as Gujarat, they had to vote for the BJP. “You know where Narendra Modi has taken Gujarat. If you want Rajasthan to be spoken as highly as Gujarat, vote for the BJP,” she said. “By voting for the BJP you will also strengthen his position in the upcoming general elections.”

Language of political campaign

It is interesting to note the language the politicians speak during the campaigning. All sorts of characters from mythologies are invoked in their speeches. Vasundhara Raje in her maiden speech in Abu Road termed the congress as ‘Kauravo ki sena’ and the BJP as Pandavas (the good and the evil from Mahabhartha).

At the end of her speech, she called the election day as the day of pooja and the voters had to sprinkle peela chawal (yellow rice that is sprinkled at the conclusion of a yagya/puja) on that day. “I am here to give you that peela chawal and take your promise that all of you will all go and sprinkle it on the voting days,” she said.

Earlier, one of the speakers, a BJP functionary at the block level, had called on women voters to colour their hands with ‘kamal ki mehandi’.

Another speaker reminded the voters of lotus ‘s (BJP’s party symbol) association with Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth).  “Please do remember goddess Lakshmi comes riding, not on hand, but on kamal. So if you vote for lotus, lakshmi will be pleased with you,” she said to the cheering crowd.

Excitement in Redvakalan ahead of the big rally

With Redvakalan still to see any ‘chunaavi hulchul’ in the village, the news of Vasundhara Raje’s rally in the Abu Road town, some six Km away, sent a sliver of excitement in the entire village.  Mahesh Kumar, the sarpanchpati (husband of the sarpanch) had gathered around him a bunch of villagers who wanted to accompany him to the town to see the ‘Rajmata’. “Heard she is covered in gold from head to toe,” said Nathu ram Garacia, a farmer. “I want to see how a queen mother looks like,” Babulal, another farmer said.  Not to be left behind the women of the village too had shown interest in going for the big rally. They too wanted to have a look at the ‘Rajmata’. “People tell me she is very pretty. I want to see if that’s true,” said Kavita, a young woman in the village. Others wanted to go to the rally to see her come down in a helicopter.  While the older generations had seen helicopters land on the air strip at Maanpur, not very far from the village, the younger lots had not.  Pabu Ram, a ten- year old boy was excited about seeing a helicopter. “From the rally ground, the helicopter would be seen landing at Maanpur. I don’t want to miss this opportunity,” he said.

The rally ground

The rally was held in small ground on the outskirts of the Abu Road town. A raised platform, at the far end of the ground was erected to serve as the podium, and carpets were laid in front for the crowd to sit. The sitting enclosure was divided into two halves by bamaboos, one half for women and other for men. On both sides of the ground, BJP's lotus fluttered atop banners and festoons fixed on the bamboos. A huge poster with the picture of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje on two sides and BJP candidate from Reodar Jagasi Ram Koli at the centre, served as the background of the podium. While the rally was scheduled for 3.30pm, the crowd had begun to gather from 1pm. By 3pm, the ground was packed. At 3.3O, when a helicopter was seen flying above the ground, the crowed got hysterical. The announcer on the podium confirmed it was Vasundhara Raje in the helicopter that was soon going to land at Maanpur airstrip and the leader would soon make an appearance at the ground. At about 4pm, with the pounding of the dhol, Vasundhara Raje made an entry to the ground and was escorted to the podium.