Ujjain : Despite expenditure of lakhs of rupees on the hoardings, cut-outs, banners and vehicles, etc, the welcome rally of state BJP president Rakesh Singh failed to impress anybody here on Saturday evening. Party workers were seen as if they were forced to erect dais and to garland Singh. The situation was that hardly 10 per cent common man as compared to the total number of publicity material turned up to witness Singh’s welcome rally.
Rakesh Singh though paid his maiden visit after crowning as the state BJP president on April 28 as well and attended party and public programmes, his present visited was planned reportedly looking to the hectic activities and tours of ‘new’ Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath and MP Congress election campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia. Sources informed that every MP and MLA, corporators, janpad and zila panchayat member of the district besides office-bearers of the BJP were directed to ensure grand welcome of Singh on his arrival. These persons were reportedly given targets and tasks to make Singh’s show ‘impressive’.
As per BJP’s official press note, Rakesh Singh’s two-day visit to Ujjain being a divisional programme as part of the state-wide schedule, but there was provision of his meeting with public or the media. Activists related to electioneering were also not part of his tour yet the vehicle rally was organised. Contrary to the claims that more than 1000 vehicles will be part of the rally, hardly 100 vehicles were seen on roads and 30 per cent of them belonged to police which was deputed for traffic and law and order arrangements. The party workers were directed to report at the respective spot of welcome dais at 3 pm and Singh was to come in the city at 5 pm, but he reached at about 7.30 pm.
Besides Rakesh Singh, those who were riding on the open jeep included state BJP general secretary VD Sharma, former Union minister Satya Narayan Jatiya, Member of Parliament Chintamani Malviya, energy minister Paras Jain among others. There were huge gaps in the rally and at Dewasgate Square only the open jeep escorted by about two dozen party workers were seen which led to various speculations among the onlookers. The rally route was about 10 km long and it created traffic jams and commuters who wanted to reach respective destinations to attend the marriage functions were highest suffers. Rural workers seemed frustrated as Singh did not reach at the workers meeting venue till filing of this report.