Jaipur Diary

BJP survey for CM face makes buzz in state
A secret survey of the BJP is making news in political circles. The party has been shy of naming anyone as its CM choice despite pressure from Vasundhra Raje loyalists who want her named as the CM candidate. Home Minister Amit Shah has said the assembly poll will be fought with PM Modi as the mascot. Now, after orders from Delhi, a survey is being held among 1,100 people on all the 200 seats to identify the most popular leader. While Raje, Gajendra Shekhawat and Satish Poonia remain big, the surprise is the emergence of Guru Gorakhnath’s devotees Alwar MP Baba Balaknath and Sikar MP Sumedhanand. 

VC pledges to make varsity ‘world class’
The 7th convocation of the Central University of Rajasthan to confer degrees, awards, and medals to eligible candidates was held on Tuesday. A total of 1,283 candidates were conferred graduate and postgraduate degrees, while 116 candidates were awarded PhDs and 82 graduates received gold medals. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was the chief guest on the occasion.  Vice Chancellor Anand Bhalerao gave an insight about the achievements of the university since the last convocation held in 2019. “We are confident that in the next few years,  we will build our institution as a world class university,” he said. 

Lessons in communal harmony in Udaipur 
Udaipur, which was engulfed in communal tension after Kanhaiya Lal’s murder, saw a shining example of harmony on Muharram, when a Tajiya going through a Hindu locality caught fire. Area resident Shyam Sundar Solanki said, “We saw the fire first and started pouring water.” The Tajia’s dome got burnt and devotees asked for a red cloth to cover it. “My sister-in-law Rekha gave her new red sari. People broke out into spontaneous applause,” Solanki added. A day earlier, a similar example was presented by the Muslim community when they showered roses on a Mahakal ride passing in front of Paltan Masjid. 

Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur rajesh.asnani@ newindianexpress.com