The rift has widened in the Rajasthan unit of the BJP after the party’s defeat in the recent Assembly bypolls to the Dhariawad and Vallabhnagar seats, where the party’s candidates were pushed to the third and fourth position, respectively. The BJP will be forced to introspect on this loss and find a way forward for the 2023 Assembly election.
Rival camps
The BJP’s defeat has been attributed mainly to the wrong selection of candidates and the party’s failure to give a convincing reply to the voters’ questions on price rise. But the loss could also be attributed to the massive infighting in the party. The rival camps in the party are led by BJP State president Satish Poonia and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. After defeats in successive bypolls, Ms. Raje’s loyalists have been demanding that she be brought to the centre-stage and projected as the party’s face for the next elections. Not only was Ms. Raje sidelined during the exercise to choose the contestants, but the sentiments of local party workers in the two constituencies were also largely disregarded. Ms. Raje did not visit the two constituencies during the election campaign and attributed her absence to her daughter-in-law’s ill health.
According to political observers, the BJP’s top leadership, which had marginalised Ms. Raje, will have to consider ways of bringing her back to infuse energy among the party workers. The formation of a new outfit in support of Ms. Raje earlier this year had created ripples in the political circles in the State, with its office-bearers urging that she be appointed Chief Minister in the event of the party’s victory in the 2023 election. Since the formation of the Congress government in 2018, Ms. Raje has remained silent on the issues of the State and avoided making public appearances.
Two of Ms. Raje’s loyalists — former MLAs Prahlad Gunjal and Bhawani Singh Rajawat — have questioned the party’s defeat in the bypolls and demanded that the leadership mantle be handed over to her. Mr. Gunjal said the present leadership should not only accept responsibility for the defeat, but also realise that only Ms. Raje is capable of competing with a strong Congress leader like Ashok Gehlot. About 20 MLAs loyal to Ms. Raje recently wrote to the BJP State president alleging bias in the Assembly proceedings. The BJP had earlier expelled former Minister Rohitash Sharma, considered close to Ms. Raje, from the primary membership for six years on the ground of breach of party discipline. However, the anti-Raje camp asks why she should be brought back when the party lost the 2018 elections under her leadership.
Meanwhile, the Congress has attacked the BJP, saying the party is a divided force and its multiple leaders are eyeing the chief ministerial post. Speculations have been rife about Ms. Raje’s growing differences with the BJP’s State leadership and the increasing clout of the party’s central leaders in the State. Denying rumours of factionalism, Mr. Poonia has been trying to shift focus to the ruling Congress, which has also been embroiled in infighting. This came to the fore last year when a rebellion was staged by the then Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and some MLAs. Mr. Poonia has said that the Congress is using Rajasthan to save its credibility and its support to the farmers agitating against the three farm laws amounted to “political hypocrisy”.
Truce in Rajasthan BJP, MLA drops motion to censure Leader of Opposition
The BJP has secured only one seat in the seven bypolls held in the State since the last Assembly election. While the Congress also has issues, it put up a united front for the elections. These bypolls serve as a lesson for the BJP on leadership, unity and ticket distribution.
mohammed.iqbal@thehindu.co.in
