28-feb-2025, the state BJP office was abuzz with activity as the Jaipur Dehat Dakshin district organised a ‘Prabudhjan Sammelan’—an Intellectual Conference—on the recent budgets announced by both the central and state governments. Thinkers, leaders, and citizens thronged the venue, eager to understand how the financial plans would shape their future. Industry Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a familiar face, walked confidently to the podium.
He spoke of hope, of how the ‘double-engine government’—the term used to describe the aligned BJP leadership at the state and central levels—is transforming Rajasthan into a developed state. It wasn’t rhetoric; he believed in the mission. He spoke of tangible efforts: of roads being laid, of schools being constructed, of lights turning on in homes that were once dark. For Rathore, this wasn’t just a budget; it was a roadmap to progress that was already changing the state’s course.
Budgets That Speak to Everyone
Rathore also addressed the other big issue: the opposition’s gripes. ‘Both the centre and the state budgets have been made to reach out to all sections of society—farmers, students, workers and entrepreneurs, ’ he said. ‘When the state government presented its first budget, the opposition squirmed. “They felt the heat, ” he said, recalling how they said it was ‘too popular’. By the second budget, they were still searching for something to say.
They didn’t criticise it on the basis of the schemes. Instead, they talked about fiscal deficits and revenue figures, he said, sounding like a learned economist. (Rathore took a swipe at them here, calling them ‘intellectuals’, which won him a few laughs from the crowd. ) Rathore also took on the big issue: the opposition’s gripes. ‘Both the central and state budgets are meant to benefit all sections of society—farmers, students, workers and entrepreneurs, ’ he said. ‘When the state government presented its first budget, the opposition squirmed. ’
Modi’s Vision: Space, Diplomacy, and a Stronger India
Then Jaipur Rural MP Rao Rajendra Singh stepped in, zooming out to the national level and attributing India’s rising stature to Narendra Modi. ‘Today we are the fifth-largest economy in the world, ’ he said, ‘and soon we’ll be the third. ’ To back up this claim, he said Modi had focused on two game-changers: foreign policy and space. ‘Before Modi, no one dared dream this big, nor connect these dots to the economy, ’ said Singh. With smarter diplomacy opening up avenues abroad, and a space program thrusting India into the future, the country is on firmer ground, he said. It’s not just about money, said Singh, it’s about dignity.
India’s ascent to the ranks of developed nations isn’t just a long-term goal—it’s happening now. MP Manju Sharma, MLA Kailash Verma, and district president Rajesh Gurjar shared their take on budgets that align with this vision. The room buzzed with agreement; these speeches felt like a promise.
