The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Now, a fan club for Vasundhara

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

Other States

Other States - Rajasthan

Now, a fan club for Vasundhara

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR SEPT. 2. A new outfit, purportedly to promote the "good work'' by the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, is in the process of taking shape. The fan club, called "Vasundhara Mitra Parishad'', is said to be the brain wave of Chandraraj Singhvi, a former Congressman who is presently the vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan.

Unlike in South India, activities of individualised fan clubs -- both political and apolitical -- are unheard of in this part of the country barring in the cases of national level bodies like the Rajiv Gandhi Brigade.

The new development has created some unease in the Rajasthan unit of the BJP and many see it as an outcome of the party's internal bickering. The Congress is watching the development with some interest. "Amusing'' was the reaction a former Congress Chief Minister when asked for comments on the formation of the new outfit.

While many BJP leaders were wary of commenting on the development, the State unit president, Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, chose to term it as "nothing unusual''. "When the fans of individuals get excited such organizations take birth,'' he noted. However, Mr. Chaturvedi is one senior BJP leader who has maintained good relations with Ms. Raje ever since her arrival in the State in 2003 as the party president.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with the internal politics of the BJP,'' asserted Mr. Singhvi known in political circles for his ascorbic tongue and aggressive manoeuvrings. There were people -- even government officials and journalists, he claimed -- who wanted to carry forward the good work being done by Ms. Raje.

"They are not political persons but still want to join hands with the process of development. There are thousands of such people within and outside Rajasthan. The Mitra Parishad would provide them a platform,'' he said. "It is an emotional collection of persons who find a common identity,'' Mr. Singhvi said.

Mr. Singhvi, however did not fully own up the idea which led to the floating of the body. "I did not create it. I am not an office-bearer. It got evolved over a period,'' he said. "The party is not unhappy about it. Or at least no one told me so. I talk to Mr. Chaturvedi almost daily,'' he said.

Mr. Singhvi was evasive when asked whether he had the clearance of Ms. Raje to launch a fan club. "It is not based on her but on her policies. Tell me, do you need anyone's permission to recite Vande Mataram?'' he asked. There are said to be 150 units of the Parishad already in the State. The effort is to have 1,000 such units.

The information may not be music to many, especially in the BJP, but one has to wait and watch for the evolution of the brand new brigade.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Now, a fan club for Vasundhara

Minister takes up the case of poppy growers