In this case, the BJP and Congress can probably agree on one thing. Since 2005, Rajasthan has overtaken Goa and even Karnataka to become the go-to destination for politicians looking to keep their MLAs safe in case their government is unstable.
Madhya Pradesh MLAs from the Congress are currently in Jaipur and are staying at two of the most luxurious resorts in the Pink City. Rewind a bit to November 2019 when Maharashtra Congress MLAs were in Jaipur when the numbers game was being played to form the government.
This trend of sending MLAs to Rajasthan increased when Ashok Gehlot became Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2018. However, the state has extended its hospitality for over 15 years now.
The first time this happened was in 2005 when BJP legislators from Goa flew to Jaipur to ‘stay safe’. During this time, Vasundhara Raje was serving as chief minister of Rajasthan during her first term. The Manohar Parrikar government in Goa had been dismissed in February of that year, and BJP flew out its MLAs to Rajasthan for safe keeping till floor test.
In the same year, a few months later, 37 BJP, JDU, and independent MLAs from Jharkhand flew to Jaipur ahead of a confidence vote to decide who between Shibu Soren and Arjun Munda had a majority.
March 2016 saw 27 MLAs from Uttrakhand being holed up in a resort before a crucial vote of confidence. This was during the second tenure of Vasundhara Raje as chief minister.
Whether its BJP or Congress, both have offered hospitality, with only precondition; they have to be in power. While BJP chose its resorts on the Jaipur-Ajmer Highway for all occasions, Congress has favoured the Delhi Jaipur highway on both times. At the same time, resorts chosen by Congress have been more luxurious than those by the BJP.
What makes these political outings special is the itinerary that is planned for the MLAs. While the Goa MLAs kept a low profile and stayed at the resort, the Jharkhand MLAs had a fun packed visit. One that included a visit to Ajmer Dargah, Shiv temples on Shivratri, shopping expedition as they had an extended stay and even a football match with local players to relieve them of stress. Uttrakhand MLAs had an elaborate visit to Pushkar where they engaged in religious rituals and a holy dip in the Pushkar lake. Maharashtra MLAs visited tourist places like Amer Fort and some went to Ajmer to pay obeisance at the Dargah.
Rajasthan Tourism department had a tag line Padharo Mahre Desh (Welcome to My Land) to showcase its immense scope for travel destinations, food and hospitality. Seeing the manner in which states with political instability are increasingly using Rajasthan to keep their flock safe – this tagline should soon be extended for political hospitality too. After all, it is extended by the party that is in government.
