JAIPUR: The BJP’s Gaurav Yatra resumed peacefully in Pali district of Rajasthan on Wednesday, a marked contrast to the major protests she had faced in Jodhpur last week.
However, even though the Opposition Congress or the people opposing the Chief Minister seemed silent, the BJP's own high-profile MLA Manvendra Singh embarrassed the party by openly challenging Vasundhara Raje.
Son of former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Manvendra asked Raje not to hold her rally in his Shiv Vidhan Sabha area. He also announced that he would hold his own Swabhimaan (Self Respect) rally in Barmer's Pachpadra area from September 22.
As Raje's rally is also slated to enter Barmer district in September, this implies that Manvendra's rally will run parallel to the CM's yatra.
The seeds of this internal battle in the BJP were sown during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014 when Raje allegedly opposed a party ticket for Jaswant Singh in Barmer. The veteran leader ultimately fought the elections as an independent and lost. However, Raje’s action humiliated not just Jaswant's family but a major section of the Rajput community.
On Tuesday, Manvendra held a meeting at his farmhouse in Barmer and announced his 'Swabhimaan' rally. He also gave broad hints that he might switch from BJP to the Congress. After meeting his community leaders and people in his constituency, Manvendra went ahead with a mini-rally that included over 200 vehicles as a show of strength. He also encouraged local people to join forces with him in his upcoming rally.
Manvendra said he would take the opinion of the people during the rally to decide his course of action for the forthcoming state elections. The rally intends to galvanize not only Jaswant Singh's supporters but also the dominant Rajput community from all over the state who are not happy with the current government over various issues.
There is speculation that Manvendra along with his wife Chitra Singh, will switch political sides very soon. Chitra is mobilizing workers for the yatra, particularly in Barmer and Jaisalmer.