JAIPUR: In a direct challenge to the central leadership of the BJP, the supporters of former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje have openly asked the party high command to declare Raje as the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP in the next elections. Though Raje has remained silent on the issue, political observers say it is a show of defiance at her behest since she is upset at being marginalized by the BJP top brass.
As reported earlier, Raje’s staunch supporters had formed a ‘Vasundhara Raje Samarthak Rajasthan Manch’ just a day after current BJP chief of the state unit, Satish Poonia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria and his deputy, Rajendra Rathore had been summoned to Delhi for a meeting with BJP President Nadda.
The announcement of the Manch formed by Raje supporters with a list of state executive committee and presidents of 25 districts on social media has led to major consternation and rift within the Rajasthan BJP.
BJP’s internal feud was today further ignited by a public statement by Raje’s former ministerial colleague and BJP MLA, Pratap Singh Singhvi, who asked the party to announce her as the BJP’s CM candidate for the next assembly elections in Rajasthan.
Singhvi claimed “Raje was the most popular face of BJP in Rajasthan” and “the party stood a winning chance only if it went to the polls by projecting Raje as its supremo.” Rubbing salt into the wounds, Singhvi further advised BJP leaders to consult Raje in all organizational matters. In retort, state BJP president, Satish Poonia, stated none was bigger than the party “which had only one face, that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The new developments have stunned party members and most see it as an act of open revolt against the national leadership by the Raje faction as she has been side-lined by the party high command. Though state BJP chief Satish Poonia prefers to downplay the issue by feigning ignorance of the formation of such an organisation, it is clear that the rift is widening. The defiance and launch of the ‘Vasundhara Raje Samarthak Rajasthan Manch’ is an open exhibition of Raje’s irritation at being ignored in the state politics by the party leaders.