Rajasthan's municipal body elections go to vote on September 9, and just two days before that, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma is fanning out across three major cities today to drum up support for the BJP. In Sirohi, meanwhile, a party press conference on the same elections left local leaders struggling to answer uncomfortable questions.
Road shows planned in Ajmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur
According to the schedule, the Chief Minister will fly out of Jaipur around 10:25 am and land at Kishangarh airport. From there he heads straight to Ajmer for a road show running from Plaza Cinema to Padav. His afternoon stop is Bikaner, where the road show sets off from Gokul Chowk. By evening he is expected in Jodhpur for a third road show starting at Jalori Gate. Alongside the public outreach, he is also scheduled to hold organisational meetings with party functionaries and review election preparedness in each city. He is expected back in Jaipur by around 9 pm.
Dausa police tighten security ahead of polling
To ensure the September 9 vote passes off peacefully, Dausa police have already swung into action. A large flag march led by ASP Shankar Lal Meena was taken out in the Bhandarej area, with police personnel marching through sensitive stretches including the main market, Holipada, Bhandana Gate and Khedli Gate to inspect security arrangements. The march included the circle officer of Dausa, station house officers of the Sadar and Kotwali police stations, the women's police station team and a QRT unit. Officers urged residents to vote without fear and warned that anyone attempting to disturb law and order during the election would face strict action. The exercise was meant to reassure voters that they could cast their ballots freely and without intimidation.
BJP leaders on the back foot in Sirohi
While the Chief Minister's itinerary is built around energising crowds in bigger cities, a BJP press conference in Sirohi over the municipal polls did not go smoothly. Journalists pressed local leaders on the city's civic problems and the party's vision for the area, but the leaders could not offer satisfactory answers. The party leaned on its state-level resolution document to outline its broader strategy, yet no clear, concrete development plan for Sirohi itself emerged. The discomfort deepened when in-charge minister K.K. Bishnoi was questioned about the appointment of officials who had previously been caught in corruption traps, even as the party claims zero tolerance on graft. Adding to the party's troubles, BJP could not field a candidate in one ward in Shivganj, forcing district president Raksha Bhandari to offer an explanation. The episode has fuelled talk of a widening gap between the government and the party organisation in Sirohi.
