As gaurav yatra reaches jodhpur, Sangeeta Pranvendra tracks the response of people as raje tries to win them over
Women are the focus and fulcrum of chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s address during the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. Thursday saw the yatra travelling across Pali and Sirohi districts and the talking point at every public meet were women.
Addressing the audience, Raje elaborates the many schemes that have been designed for women. She speaks to the women and elicits response. “When a boy is born there is celebration. But what is the reaction when a girl is born,” she asks addressing the women in the crows. Sadness and crying, comes the low pitched response from many in the crowds. “Today we have ensured that the daughter is a Lakshmi. Our Rajshree Yojna ensures that she walks into the world with money in her hand. It is 50 thousand for the girl child at various stages till she clears class 12. She is not a burden,” thunders Raje in a tone that finds immediate response among the women.
“Tell your daughters to study well. We give cycles, scooties and even laptops to the deserving,” she adds. And when she attains adulthood we provide another lump sum amount that can be used either for study or for marriage. But I suggest you to educate her. That is more important,” she counsels, once again eliciting affirmative murmurs.
Warming up to her absorbed audience Raje then tells them that “Just like I am a mukhymantri, we have made every woman a mukhiya. The Bhamashah card issued in the name of the woman serves to make her the head of the family and it has empowered women. Each one of you is a mukhymantri,” she tells the women in the pandal who are now cheering. It is now time for business and she hits the nail on the right spot. “Congress says, they will break and throw away the Bhamashah Cards when they come to power. This is because they do not like the power it gives you. They do not like the transparency the card has brought in providing public services. You must vote for the BJP,” she says.
Interaction with women is yet not complete. As Raje steps off the stage, she moves into the crowds among women. She pauses here, chats there, stops for a selfie and makes it abundantly clear that women votes are those that she does not plan to leave to chance.
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