New Delhi: Sidelined in the BJP after the assembly election loss in Rajasthan last December, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje seems to be in political wilderness as the party high command looks beyond her to nurture a new generation of leaders in the state.
Raje, as it is, remains the only mass leader in Rajasthan BJP but finds herself isolated. She had been given the ceremonial post of BJP national vice-president, a move meant to take her out of state politics.
Raje’s son Dushyant Singh, a four-term MP from Jhalawar, has got no role either in the government or the party.
The former Rajasthan chief minister seems to be losing her grip on the party in the state and is often left out of official programmes though she makes it a point to stay involved.
For instance on 13 September, the press release issued by the BJP’s Jaipur district president Mohanlal Gupta, detailing the celebration plans for PM Modi’s birthday week under “Seva Saptah”, in a school for specially abled children, did not mention her name.
Raje nevertheless was present at the venue, and this was conveyed through a separate press release issued by her personal team.
She was not consulted by the party high command on Satish Punia’s appointment as the state unit chief. Raje is said to enjoy the support of over 80 per cent of the 72 BJP MLAs in the Rajasthan assembly but nobody is willing to speak out for her today.
While Raje took to Twitter to congratulate Punia, she didn’t meet him.
“It is this arrogance that is a major flaw of Raje, and may prove fatal for her political career,” a BJP functionary pointed out. There are many within the BJP who claim she has been pushed to the margins and may be relegated further.
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Active on Twitter
Raje’s Twitter page, however, has been buzzing with activity as she distributed fruits among patients at the district hospital in Dholpur on 17 September. On the same day, she posted another photo while conducting surveys of places affected by the floods.
She then held a press conference on the floods issue urging the Congress government in the state to help farmers. On 18 September, she conducted an aerial survey of the affected regions and posted the pictures and a video. Just like other BJP leaders, Raje also posted a few pictures on the Howdy, Modi! event.
“It is well known that she didn’t have good relations with Modi and the BJP president Amit Shah,” said a senior BJP leader. “In the past, when the party wanted to make Gajendra Singh Shekhawat the state BJP president, she had opposed it tooth-and-nail and it is then that Madan Lal Saini (who died earlier this year following which the post fell vacant) was made the state chief.”
“The BJP leadership had to give in as the party was in power in the state and didn’t want to do anything to break the unit,” the leader added. “Even during the ticket distribution for the assembly elections, Amit Shah and Raje were not on the same page.”
The dilemma away from power
Raje, party insiders point out, is facing a major dilemma at this juncture — whether to lie low and wait for the right moment as assembly elections are four years away, or make the party aware of her displeasure strongly.
“There are clearly two camps right now in the Rajasthan BJP as far as Raje is considered: those who are anti-Raje and those even in her coterie who want to fly higher and may align with the new power that be,” said a BJP MLA. “She is quite alone right now and so far has chosen to remain silent. How long will this stay and how long the MLAs, who are with her, will remain with her is what will determine her future.”
According to another source, Raje has not been in the state for the last few months as she was travelling out of the country. So far, even the MLAs who are in her camp seem to have adopted a wait-and-watch policy. Soon after taking charge, Poonia conducted a few visits, one to Bharatpur and another to Nagaur, while he was greeted by a number of BJP workers, those who are part of Raje’s camp, chose to remain away.
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The ‘arrogant’ leader who built the party
Often described as “arrogant” and not willing to listen to other voices, one aspect that even Raje’s detractors will have to agree to is the fact that the former chief minister has played a key role in strengthening the party.
“If Bhairon Singh Shekhawat made the base of the party, she consolidated it and ensured more Jat votes came to the BJP, something which was unheard of,” said another leader. “She has a fighting spirit and she will do anything to win the battle. So it will not be right to dismiss her at this juncture. She may be out of power but can rise again as a phoenix.”
As far as the central leadership of the BJP is concerned, soon after the party lost out in the assembly elections, they have reportedly been making changes that are weakening the hold of Raje.
With Rajasthan BJP leaders such as Gajendra Singh Shekawat, Arjun Meghwal and Kailash Choudhary as Union ministers and Om Birla as speaker, Modi and Shah have done the groundwork needed to keep the local leadership happy. “They can take the risk of alienating Raje. Satish Punia being a Jat will help consolidate the community’s votes. BJP is also expected to prop up Rajsamand MP Diya Kumari, from the Jaipur royal family that is opposed to Raje,” said another senior leader. Even Jat leader Hanuman Beniwal was brought into the NDA fold despite Raje’s opposition. He won from Nagaur.
“The process is on to break her coterie as she derives her power essentially from them. So far the party has been able to break only one MLA,” said a source who did not want to be named.
Even for the 2018 assembly elections, her aides point out, the slogan that proved to be her nemesis — “Modi tujhse ber nahi, Vasundhara teri khair nahi (We have nothing against Modi but Vasundhara beware)” — was not coined by the party or the opposition but the anti-Raje camp within the BJP and RSS.
“The urban areas were really affected by this and it is this that played a major role in the BJP losing out,” said a senior BJP leader.
Raje also enjoyed the support of late Arun Jaitley in Delhi. With him gone, she has lost an invaluable ally. “She started as a lightweight but was catapulted to Rajasthan by Bhairaon Singh Shekawat and Jaswant Singh, who thought she could be managed.
“But she proved to be wilier and brought together the ‘Jat bahu’ and Rajput characters together in the electoral field. She also had a unique connect with women, as the daughter of a Rajmata, in a state known for oppression,” said a senior BJP leader stressing on the fact that she may make a comeback.
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Vasundhara raje have bigger political height and acceptability than Narendra Modi and Amit shah also. Let the time come, it will be proved. In second tenure of her chief ministry in her leadership BJP win more than 81 percent seats in Rajasthan assembly, in parliament election Narendra Modi can’t get this level. So on parameters of political success vasundhara raje have edge over Narendra Modi. Second important thing she have her own vision, that never can be seen in Narendra Modi. So on many Angles vasundhara raje is bigger leader than Modi.