Issues Satish Poonia took to streets paved way for BJP govt in Rajasthan: Ex-LoP

Jaipur, Oct 12 (PTI) The foundation of the current BJP government in Rajasthan was laid by senior politician Satish Poonia through his grassroots struggles as state party president, former leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore said on Sunday.

Speaking at the launch of Poonia's book 'Agnipath Nahi Janpath' at the Constitution Club, Rathore said, "The issues that Poonia took to the streets and turned into public movements during his tenure as Rajasthan BJP president eventually paved the way for the formation of the Bhajan Lal Sharma government." The event saw participation of Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria as chief guest, as well as several other political leaders.

Rathore light-heartedly described Rajasthan politics as a "game of snakes and ladders" and said that sometimes, the snake bites just when you are close to the top.

"Satish ji, the snake bit us both when we were extremely close to the seat of power," he said, adding, "Now Satish ji is writing books and I am writing articles. Once I complete 51 articles, I too will publish a book." Both Poonia and Rathore had lost the 2023 assembly elections.

The book captures Poonia's political life, highlighting his role in mobilising public sentiments on key issues during the tenure of Congress government in Rajasthan.

Poonia was a BJP MLA from Amber assembly constituency in Jaipur from 2018 to 2023 and served as the BJP state president. Later, he was appointed as the deputy leader of opposition and BJP's Haryana incharge before the assembly elections in that state.

Speaking at the programme, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria lauded the essence of Indian democracy and said that public leaders must always be ready to face scrutiny.

"The beauty of democracy lies in the fact that leaders must undergo constant agnipariksha (test of fire)," he said.

Citing the formal use of the term 'His Excellency' for governors, Kataria remarked, "I am not His Excellency, I am a worker. Positions come and go, but the identity of a political worker remains lifelong. Even if I hold a constitutional post, I will return to being a worker once the event ends." Kataria also expressed concern over elected representatives frequently visiting secretariats for transfer-related matters, terming it "harmful for democracy." Earlier, Poonia said there is a misconception that politicians are not well-read.

"I love reading and writing. This book reflects my journey in public service and the challenges I faced as an MLA. Politics requires knowledge, dialogue and empathy in equal measures," he said.

He said this is his first book and a second one is already in the works, which will include behind-the-scenes stories and his journey from student activism to mainstream politics.

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Tikaram Jully and BJP state president Madan Rathore also addressed the programme, which was attended by a large number of party workers and supporters. PTI SDA RUK RUK