Bhopal: Chouhan takes Yashodhararaje along in his chopper to Kolaras

Bhopal: Putting the speculations over whether minister Yashodhararaje Scindia will aid the BJP’s poll effort in the Kolaras and Mungaoli constituencies to rest, the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Monday, took her along in his chopper to Kolaras for the filing of the nomination papers of Devendra Jain, the BJP candidate from Kolaras. Chouhan and Yashodhara jointly sought votes for Jain in the name of Rajmata. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar also accompanied them.

The three leaders staged a road show as an answer to Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia’s show-of-strength at the time of the filing of the nomination by the party’s candidate.

The chief minister and Scindia rode in an open Bolero jeep. Waving their hands, they greeted the people and asked them to vote for the BJP. As four-wheelers were not allowed within 200-mt radius of the SDM office, Yashodhara got down from the jeep and rode pillion on the bike driven by district BJP President Sushil Raghuvanshi to the SDM’s office, where Jain filed his papers.

Addressing a public meeting after the filing of papers, Tomar said that Kolaras is the erstwhile constituency of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and the people should vote for the BJP to fulfill the dream of the Rajmata. The Rajmata, he said, was like a motherly figure of the residents of the constituency and they should vote for the BJP to open the door of progress.

In his speech, Chouhan launched a bitter attack on the Congress. He said that the Congress is trying to block developmental projects in the area by making frivolous complaints. He said that Congress was responsible for stalling a project for sinking of hand pumps in the area and was also trying to block the release of crop insurance and relief amounts to the farmers.

Yashodhara had not visited the twin constituencies even once since the announcement of the bye-polls, thus fuelling speculations that this may hit the BJP’s prospects. Now with Yashodhara agreeing to join the campaign, the BJP is fixing the schedule of her public meetings in the area so that she can counter the influence of Jyotiraditya.