Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 6 (ANI): BJP leader Rajendra Rathore on Sunday defended the schedule for Rajasthan’s urban local body elections, saying the polls were being conducted under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “One State, One Election”, while hitting out at former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra over their criticism of the state government.
Addressing a press conference in Jaipur, Rathore said the BJP government under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma was presenting its report card before the people every year and accused the Congress of questioning a process being conducted under the “One State, One Election” framework.
Responding to Gehlot’s allegations over the delay in urban local body elections and the possibility of horse-trading, Rathore said elections were being conducted in 309 urban local bodies in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “One State, One Election”.
“The Bhajanlal Sharma government is completing the civic and panchayat elections in around 40 days, compared with nearly 280 days of Model Code of Conduct during the previous Congress government. Elections to 309 urban local bodies are being held together.”
He alleged that the previous Congress government under Gehlot had conducted elections in 13 phases during 2020-21, with the election process continuing for around 18 months.
“Those who took two years to conduct elections are now making allegations against the BJP,” Rathore said.
The Rajasthan State Election Commission has scheduled elections to all 309 urban local bodies in two phases on September 9 and 11, with counting scheduled for September 14. The polls cover 10,245 councillor posts across municipal corporations, municipal councils and municipalities.
On Gehlot’s questions over the recruitment of sanitation workers, Rathore said the recruitment process was underway and candidates would also be given bonus marks. He alleged that the previous Congress government had kept the process pending.
Rathore also questioned the Congress over the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct during the Gehlot government and asked why it had remained in force for 280 days during that tenure.
He also highlighted the BJP government’s expenditure of Rs 19,430 crore on highway construction.
Taking a dig at former Rajasthan Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Rathore said he was disappointed by the language being used by someone who had once been associated with the family of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
Rathore said Khachariyawas had been associated with the BJP earlier and had perhaps carried some of its values with him, but questioned which political camp he currently belonged to.
“He is trying to regain his lost reputation,” Rathore said.
Responding to Dotasra’s reference to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma as “Kaka”, Rathore said that if the PCC chief had accepted Sharma as “Kaka”, then the same “Kaka” was implementing the “One State, One Election” model in Rajasthan.
Rathore also defended Sharma’s participation in the civic poll campaign, saying the BJP considered even its smallest worker important.
He said Sharma was personally holding roadshows to support BJP candidates in the urban local body elections.
The BJP has intensified its campaign ahead of the civic polls, with Sharma holding roadshows in several cities as the election campaign enters its final phase.
Rathore’s remarks came a day after Dotasra accused the BJP government of using government machinery to target Congress candidates contesting the urban local body elections. (ANI)
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