Why BJP is feeling nervous in Rajasthan ahead of Assembly elections

Jaipur, Sept 30: Rajasthan is one of those last remaining states in India where the two national parties -- BJP and Congress come to power alternatively and being in power, the saffron party is feeling the pressure of winning a second successive term for incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

According to a report in NDTV Khabar, the BJP is a bit worried over the SC votes as India's largest state inches towards its next Assembly election in some time. In the 2013 elections, the BJP won a major share of the reserved seats but over the last five years, the scheduled caste voters have not been happy - neither against the BJP-ruled state nor the Centre, the report added. The BJP is desperate to win back the confidence of this important electorate and it is campaigning from door to door to appease the voters of the SC community.

The SC voters were angry over the removal of a statue of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar from a government land in Sahjahanpur village by the authorities. The BJP is trying to convince people that it has given a big land in the same village to set up an Ambedkar memorial though the angry sentiments are yet to be assuaged.

In April, members of the SC protested against the Supreme Court's decision to reform the AC Act and they were particularly unhappy with both the central and state governments. The police took strong measures against the protesters and in Alwar, one man from the SC candidate died in the protests while 150 were injured. This naturally left the BJP worried, the NDTV Khabar report said.

The ruling party, thereafter, resorted to initiating schemes including granting opportunities to their youth. The Congress said it was poll gimmick by the ruling party and hoped that this would do little to appease the SC votes and bring them back to it. In 2013, the Congress had won only one reserved seats in Rajasthan.