Rajasthan BJP president Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday started fifth leg of her Suraj Sanklap Yatra in Bikaner region at a time, when the party improved its tally in the bypolls for 18 wards of local bodies and panchayat samitis.
The bypoll results are clear indications that ruling Congress is loosing its grounds even after its Government had launched several popular schemes, during the past four months to retain its hold among the electorate. Worst result came from Jodhpur, the home district of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, where the Congress could not won even a single seat.
Bypolls for 18 wards of local bodies and panchayats were held on June 7 and results were declared late on Monday night. Of the 18 wards, the Congress was having 13 seats, BJP three and independents two. But in these bypolls, Congress could retain only seven seats and lost six seats. Though BJP had won six seats —one less then the Congress — its leaders are happy that the party could doubled its tally. Independents had won five seats. Results indicate that the BJP was set to regain its lost ground in the coming Assembly elections.
An analysis of the results shows that the ruling Congress lost both the seats in Ganganagar and Hanumangarh municipal bypolls, where its leader claimed that Sandesh Yatra of Gehlot in these two districts got the big response only few weeks back.
Meanwhile, Raje on Tuesday sharpened her attack on ruling Congress in Rajasthan, when she said under its rule State has lost what was achieved during the previous BJP Government.
Referring to the results of bypolls she said that people have already made up their mind to throw out the Congress in the coming Assembly elections Raje started this leg of her Yatra after performing puja at Ramdeora temple at Mukam and addressed her first meeting at Nokha.
Ten-day-long yatra of Raje of the Bikaner region would cover about 900 kilometres. She is schedule to address at least 24 big rallies and a large number of road side meetings.