Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje speaks to IndiaToday.in in her first interview following the BJP's losses in the recent bypolls in her state.

This was what is called a shock defeat. After sweeping both the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a sweep of the other kind in Rajasthan. The Congress managed to not just win all the three seats that went to vote in bypolls, but won them handsomely.

All the three seats were earlier held by the BJP. The party's vote share in Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha constituencies reduced from 61 and 56 per cent in 2014 respectively to 40 and 44 per cent respectively. In Mandalgarh Assembly constituency, the BJP vote share dipped from 52 per cent in 2013 to 32 per cent.

The losses came as a personal setback for Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Also as a warning bell to the party, as the state faces an Assembly election in October-November this year. And possibly, the general election soon after or sooner.

In the first interview after the crushing bypoll results, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje spoke exclusively to IndiaToday.in on the political situation in the state, the reasons behind the defeat and the way forward for her government.

Excerpts from the interview:

1. The BJP suffered a shocking defeat in the recently held bypolls for two Lok Sabha and one Assembly constituencies. What happened?

Vasundhara Raje: While we are still analysing the results, debilitating politics on part of the Opposition, anti-incumbency against the sitting MLAs, laxity in delivery of services and insensitivity of the government officers in the field appear to be the primary reasons for the poor performance in these by-elections. There was a lack of connect in some areas.

2. What do you mean by debilitating politics?

Raje: For instance, the forward-looking communities which should have been the torch-bearers of the society are taking a hardline stance on certain issues. Is it good for progress? The Opposition, for short-term gains, fanned these feelings. This is not good politics.

'We have been strict whenever it was necessary [during Padmaavat controversy]. The safety and security of all communities, castes, tourists and people is always our prime concern. - Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister, Rajasthan

3. How do you explain the phrase lack of connect with people?

Raje: Both the party MLAs and officers particularly at the edge need to improve the connect with the people. Government officers, especially those working in the field and interacting with the people of the state do not often maintain the right connect with citizens. The collectors, BDOs, SDO and police need to be sensitive enough to public grievances. This is an area of concern.

4. Were the agitators in the Padmaavat case treated with kid gloves? In retrospect, do you not think the administration needed to come down heavily on these elements?

Raje: No. We have been strict whenever it was necessary. The safety and security of all communities, castes, tourists and people is always our prime concern.

5. Did Rajputs and Jats, who are considered BJP's staunch supporters, vote for the Congress in the bypolls?

Raje: They have significant representation in the government. The question of communities turning against the government does not appear to be tenable.

Moreover, all caste-centric agitations have been handled with sensitivity by the state government. Our primary objective is good governance and to maintain law and order in Rajasthan.

Lack of connect with people in some areas is a concern, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje tells IndiaToday.in in an exclusive interview.

6. Did the death in an encounter of a Rajput gangster annoy a section of them?

Raje: Caste, community or politics are no consideration in maintaining law and order. That's not how any administration should work.

7. Farm distress has become a major issue countrywide. In your state too, farmers have demanded loan waiver, free electricity etc. Your government has not accepted their demands. The Congress has promised them the same. Don't you feel the farmers have also turned against your government?

Raje: Do I succumb to populism and bust the bank? If I do, it could be good politics but bad economics. I would be pushing Rajasthan backwards by several decades.

Or do I not work towards securing a sustainable future of the farming community? Should I not focus on good governance?

The Congress had messed up the economy and I cleaned it in my last stint between 2003 and 2008. They again made a mess of the finances, taking Rajasthan behind by several decades. I have been clearing it again for the past four years because my focus is on good governance and quality, transparent services. We are working towards long-term solutions for farmers. I will give you an example. For the first time in 60 years, the canal networks are being repaired.

8. Why would you blame the Congress?

Raje: Look, before I left office in December 2008, the debt of the discoms (distribution companies) was Rs 15,000 crore. This increased to Rs 80,000 crore in December 2013 when I took charge again. But, it will be reduced to Rs 2,500 crore by the year end.

9. The Assembly election is just round the corner. You just have seven to eight months to consolidate. How will you do that?

Raje: We have done a lot of work and a lot needs to be done. In several respects we have been ahead of the Centre in launching successful schemes.

The Bhamashah Health Insurance Scheme was launched in Rajasthan in December 2015 for about one crore eligible families of the state. Bhamashah scheme is an example in financial inclusion and women empowerment in the country. Rajasthan has been adjudged the best state in information technology for the second year in a row.

We have the largest highway network in India. Digital Rajasthan has 48,000 Common Service Centres, which is 25 per cent of total such centres in the country. That is one fourth of Digital India.

In law and order, Abhay Command Centres have been set up in four divisional headquarters -- Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer and Udaipur. Soon it'll come up in the remaining three divisional headquarters of Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Bikaner.

The state-of-the-art Abhay Centres monitor public places to prevent crimes from taking places, to provide instant relief to a victim of a crime or an accident and take quick action. This is the photo of the Jaipur centre, monitoring the Walled City with 524 video cameras.

10. Rajasthan attracts tourists from across the world. Will all this negative publicity affect the tourism sector?

Not at all. Tourism and public safety have not been affected. We have taken leaps in this. My government has set up Asia's only wild leopard safari in Jhalana Dhungri. One can see leopards from as close as 25 metres. We set up Nahargarh Lion Safari and Wildlife Sanctuary. Many of these assets existed for decades but they were locked. We opened them for tourists.

But that's not all, this tie we cared for the details you (media) often miss. We have had elephant rides but there was no place for these animals and mahouts to rest. We have created an exclusive space called the Haathi Gaon for elephants and their mahouts, almost all of them being Muslims, in Amer.

WATCH | Major setback to BJP, Congress wins Rajasthan bypolls