DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013 (PAGE 9) A grand return to power Raman Singh, the silent performer gives BJP a hat-trick in C'garh RAIPUR, Dec 8: Antyodaya scheme and at Rs 2 for others below the poverty line for Vasundhara Raje Fondly called as 'Chawal (BPL) families were touted as JAIPUR, Dec 8: elected to the state assembly thrice before she rallied her supporters Wale Baba' (the rice God), Dr one of the main achievements of and five times to Lok Sabha. to bounce back last year. Raman Singh, who today led the Raman Singh government. Vasundhara Raje, who failed After being appointed as BJP's First, she cut RSS-favourite BJP to a consecutive third victo- five years ago on account of Despite the recurring Maoist National Executive member in Gulab Chand Kataria, a seasoned ry in the Naxal-affected state of violence for which he has had infighting in BJP, reinvented her- 1984, she became vice-president party leader and chief ministerial Chattisgarh, has earned the rep- self and galvanised the cadre to his share of criticism, tech- of Yuva Morcha in Rajasthan a aspirant, to size by forcing the utation of being a silent per- savvy Singh has turned the spearhead her party's spectacular year later and was elected to state party to cancel his planed 28-day former. comeback to power in Rajasthan. backward state into a model of assembly the same year. yatra across the State last year. Never regarded as a very 60-year-old Raje, who development. Since then Raje's rise has been The yatra, he believed, would right-wing Hindu-nationalist belongs to the royal Scindia fami- steady which culminated in her have propelled him as the BJP's He was also credited for ly of Gwalior and married in politician, bringing in Chhattisgarh Food becoming the state's first woman face in the State at a time the Singh(61) is Rajasthan, had even once threat- chief minister in 2003 when the Ashok Gehlot Government was Security Act to ensure food to ened to quit the party. But then she known to people of the state, much before "angrezi-speaking maharani", a seemingly in a drift. skirt contro- managed to get the BJP high com- phrase used by her critics to refer A majority of party's MLAs the National Food Security Act versial issues mand fully behind her in her bid to to her elitist and royal back- sided with her, knowing well that which was being considered as a oust the Congress Government ground, led BJP to its most she and not Kataria had the such as "game changer" by the Congress headed by Ashok Gehlot. famous victory in the predomi- charisma of bringing the party Hindutva and party. The icing on the cake for her conversions nantly rural State. back to power. A reluctant BJP Singh has won praise from Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal with other partymen flashing victory sign during a was the full-throated backing The saffron party had bagged national leadership had little and focused from Narendra Modi who exten- political rivals including press conference in New Delhi on Sunday. (UNI) a majority for the first time -- it choice but to bow to her wishes only on the development and Finance Minister P sively toured Rajasthan during the won in 120 out of 200 seats -- a and let her helm the party's achievements, and promises of a election campaign. Chidambaram (during his tenure feat which had eluded even its affairs. better life for the people in his as Home Minister) for adopting Her rise from a National stalwart and former CM Bhairon Raje was appointed state poll campaign. AAP a movement of disparate groups, Executive member of BJP to one pro-active policy to tackle nax- Singh Sekhawat. party president and launched An Ayurvedic doctor-turned of its most powerful leaders in If she was seen as an efficient Suraj Sankalp Yatra in April, alism. Rajasthan can be attributed to her politician, the two-term Chief He was credited for forming administrator with a grip on which drew a good response from Minister, who had an uninter- broom proves ominous for Dikshit charismatic personality and strong bureaucracy, she was also accused people, lifting the morale of party 'Salwa Judum'--an anti-naxal will, which have helped her tide rupted 10-year rule of the tribal- movement, to check left wing of having authoritarian tendencies workers. She was later named dominated state. Earned the NEW DELHI, Dec 8: went along with the party’s victims of sexual harassment over political crises from within which antagonised powerful party's chief ministerial candi- extremism in the state-- but it 'Chawal Wale Baba" sobriquet slogans of cleaning the polity and rape, including the intro- and outside in her 30-year-long satraps and numerically signifi- date. was decried by human rights for the popularity of unique pro- When fledgling Aam of corruption amid a spate of duction of a stronger anti-rape political career. cant groups like Gujjars and She also vociferously sup- activists. Aadmi party was alloted While she is adored by her Meenas, resulting in BJP losing a ported Narendra Modi's prime welfare schemes including dis- Overcoming anti-incumben- scams that dogged the UPA law. ‘broom’ as its poll symbol just government. Hazare and Kejriwal agreed supporters for her plainspoken tight electoral race in 2008 to ministerial candidature within the tribution of rice at Rs one and Rs cy factor in the state, BJP led by 100 days back, there may have “With this, the party has on September 19 2012 that and outgoing manners, her detrac- Congress. party and as the Gujarat Chief two per kg to families belonging Singh is all set to form the gov- tors believe her inaccessibility and been ominous signs for crossed the second milestone their differences regarding a Raje became the leader of Minister's graph rose so did hers, to extremely poor and below ernment in Chhattisgarh for the like-it-or-lump-it attitude was the Congress which ruled Delhi (after its registration) on its role in politics were irreconcil- Opposition but had to quit in neutralising any potential obsta- poverty lines categories. third time after a tightly fought reason behind BJP's debacle in for 15 straight years if one way to cleaning up the polity able. February, 2010, on the party's cle she might have had to face. Rice for Rs 1 a kg under the elections. (PTI) 2008 assembly polls and the sub- directions after BJP suffered a A graduate with economics went by some historic broom of the country,” the AAP said Kejriwal had support from sequent Lok Sabha elections. drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, win- and political science degrees from lore. in a statement after it was some well-known people Member of a Maratha royal ning only four of 25 seats. Mumbai University, Raje'e ener- Tehelka case: Goa police slaps And Arvind Kejriwal’s alloted the reserved ‘broom’ involved in the anti-corruption family who married into a Jat It was the time when RSS was getic campaign has been one of the AAP, which had its roots in the symbol on August one. movement, such as Prashant family, she enjoys a connect with asserting itself in the party's hallmarks of the electioneering. civil society’s historic anti- “With the ‘broom’ which Bhushan and Shanti Bhushan, masses cutting across castes and affairs and Raje was never a At a personal level, she is additional charges on Tejpal corruption movement spear- symbolises dignity of labour, but was opposed by others such communities that lends her the X- favourite of the Hindutva organi- more of the quintessential modern headed by Gandhian Anna the party hopes to clean the as Kiran Bedi and Santosh PANAJI, Dec 8: factor in a heterogeneous state like sation. woman leader who is as much at Hazare that brought govern- filth which has permeated our Hegde. Rajasthan where acceptability of Unlike her mother, who pas- ease in the traditional tribal dress In what can spell further trouble for Tehelka founder editor Tarun ment on its knees in mid-2011, government and our legisla- On October 2, the birth most politicians wilts outside a sionately advocated political hearing out the concerns of vil- Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a woman colleague, the Goa made an old tale come true for ture. The country needs a clean anniversary of Mahatma particular region or group. Hinduism, Raje kept RSS and its lage population as she enjoyed Crime branch has pressed additional charges against him. the one-year-old party. sweep of its corrupted main Gandhi, Kejriwal announced Daughter of founding BJP affiliates at an arm's length from walking the ramp or interacting A senior crime branch official said that the first information report According to an old stream political parties,” it that he was forming a political leader Vijayraje Scindia and sister Government's affairs. with celebrities in royal parties. filed against Tejpal now has additional two sections of Indian Penal American folklore, if you said. party which was formally of deceased Congress leader Marginalised by her party, she And her supporters love their Code - 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement). place a broom on the floor, it And Kejriwal may also take launched on November 26 Madhavrao Scindia, she has been kept a low profile for some time 'maharani' for this. (PTI) The officials interrogating Tejpal said that additional sections were will indicate to your guests inspiration from another old coinciding with the anniversary invoked after statements of the victim, witnesses and going through the that they have stayed long folklore in which it was said of India’s adoption of its con- CCTV footage of the hotel where the alleged incident took place.