NDTV
Jhalawar, Jun 26: The firebrand sanyasin Uma Bharti has launched a sharp attack on Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Bharti claims that Raje is ruling Rajasthan with a feudal mentality and her loyalists are threatening people to stay away from her newly formed Bharatiya Janshakti Party.
Uma is currently on a three-day trip to Rajasthan, which she began from Jhalawar - the constituency where Vasundhara has never lost an election.
While Uma hopes to poach BJP dissidents and create a stir in the party's cadre in the state, the BJP claims Uma will have no impact in Rajasthan.
Sanyasin vs maharani
Uma Bharti was at her aggressive best in Jhalawar, attacking the Rajasthan chief minister for bad roads and water shortage in a constituency that Raje has held for 17 years.
She alleged that the Raje government was terrorising Uma supporters in the state.
"The chief minister should learn to respect political opponents. They say anyone who helps Uma's trip, will be beaten and shot dead," said Bharti.
"But I want to say that Rajasthan is not a feudal kingdom of the Sindhia royals. They should not harbour such false notions. It's a democracy and if they beat any of our people, we will thrash two of theirs," she added.
Clever ploy
Starting her first trip to Rajasthan from Jhalawar is a clever ploy for Uma to poach BJP dissidents in Vasundhara's stronghold.
To curb any revolt in her ranks, a rattled Raje even made a quick dash to Jhalawar just two days before Uma's arrival.
But officially, the BJP insists Uma is no threat.
"Our workers in Jhalawar are hardly bothered about Uma, so there is no worry for the chief minister. If Uma stays in Jhalawar even for one full month, there will be no impact as Vasundhara has a strong mass base," said Bhawani Singh, Public Relations Minister, Rajasthan.
Besides Jhalawar, Uma will also visit Kota and Baran districts on the Madhya Pradesh border. And while her impact remains unclear, Uma's foray could well make internal equations in the deeply divided Rajasthan BJP even more complex.