New Delhi, Oct 28: Women aspirants for BJP tickets in the coming Rajasthan assembly polls could be in for a bonanza with state party president Vasundhara Raje planning a greater representation for them even as Hindutva issues are set to take a back seat in her efforts to wrest the Congress bastion on the development plank. "We are planning to give greater representation to women in seat allocation. As against the seven tickets allotted to women in the last elections (all of whom lost), we hope to give 20-25 seats this time," Raje told in an interview.

Raje, who was here for discussions with the party high command on finalisation of candidates for the December 01 polls, said her effort was to provide "at least one seat per parliamentary constituency" to women. "In all the previous polls, the tickets for women have never crossed the single digit mark," she said.

Besides, efforts were on to give tickets to youngsters, people with experience and professionals.

"It would be a happy mix keeping in mind ground realities, caste combinations and above all winnability," Raje, who is the party's chief ministerial candidate, said. Asked whether the party would rake up its pet Hindutva issues including Ram temple in the poll campaign, she avoided a direct response but hinted they would take a back seat saying, "The state has just faced a major drought, the infrastructure, including power, water and education, is in shambles. One cannot think beyond basic needs at this point."

Bureau Report