Rajasthan assembly polls: People in the state feel cheated by Cong, to bring BJP back to power in state claims J P Nadda

People of Rajasthan feel "cheated" by a Congress government "steeped in corruption" and have made up their mind to bring the BJP back to power in the state, party president J P Nadda said on Wednesday.

J P Nadda, who arrived in Kota earlier to hold meetings with the party office-bearers from Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar, said youngsters, farmers and the common man have decided to show the door to the Congress in the November 25 state Assembly polls.

"The enthusiasm that I see among our workers clearly shows that the people of Rajasthan have made up their mind towards the BJP. And they have resolved that they want a change," J P Nadda told a press conference in Kota.

"The public has decided to uproot the corrupt (Ashok) Gehlot government of the Congress and made up its mind to bring about change," the BJP president said.

He targeted the Gehlot government on the issues of corruption, paper leaks, farm loan waiver and atrocities against women. "I see that in a way, the people of Rajasthan feel cheated," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

Nadda alleged that land belonging to more than 19,000 farmers in the state was auctioned during the Congress rule. He also said Congress leaders' statements on the purported "red diary" show their despondence.

In his recent speeches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked about a "red diary" that allegedly contains details of financial transactions in the name of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

The BJP chief said there is great enthusiasm in favour of his party ahead of the state Assembly polls. He expressed confidence that the saffron party will win all the 17 seats in the Kota division.

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.

The BJP, which is looking to wrest power from the Congress in the desert state, has so far announced candidates for 41 seats. No candidate for the Kota division has so far been announced.

Earlier in the day, Nadda held meetings with the party's office-bearers from Kota and Bundi in the first round and those from Jhalawar and Baran in the second round.

Nadda's visit to Kota division was significant in view of the launch of a public awareness campaign on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday.

Former chief minister and senior BJP leader Vasudhara Raje's Assembly constituency (Jhalrapatan) also falls in the Kota division.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's parliamentary constituency is Kota-Bundi.

At the meeting, discussions on all 17 Assembly seats in the Hadoti region, comprising the Kota division, were held. Issues related to the organisation were also discussed.

The four districts in the Kota division are among the 13 covered under the ERCP. The ruling Congress in Rajasthan has been demanding the status of a national project for the ERCP from the Centre.

The ERCP is an ambitious project that will help augment the irrigation facilities in an area of around two lakh hectares and address the drinking water problems of 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan, including those in the Kota division.

The BJP is yet to give any clarity regarding Raje's role in the upcoming polls.

Raje is considered to be among the frontrunners for the chief minister's post. However, the BJP has made it clear that the face of the party in the upcoming election will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its poll symbol, "lotus".

Three ministers in the Gehlot government -- Shanti Dhariwal (Kota), Pramod Jain Bhaya (Baran) and Ashok Chandna (Bundi) -- are also from the Kota division.

After the meetings, Nadda went to Kishangarh where he was received by BJP leaders and marble association members.

The meeting of the BJP president with the party office-bearers from the Ajmer division began at the marble association's auditorium in Kishangarh.

The party has given ticket to Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary from the Kishangarh Assembly constituency in the first list of candidates released last week, leading to resentment among the supporters of Vikas Choudhary who wanted to contest the poll from Kishangarh.

Vikas Choudhary addressed his supporters after the announcement of the candidature, saying he had left no stone unturned for the sake of the party and denying him a poll ticket amounted to betrayal.

Protests also erupted in the Tonk-Deoli Assembly segment against BJP candidate Vijay Bainsla. This seat also falls in the Ajmer division.

Sources in the BJP said Nadda will talk to party leaders and office-bearers about a damage-control exercise and the present situation.