BJP bets on Raje for R'than Assembly polls

Infighting still on in partys state unit

Amidst the squabbling within the party’s state unit over the leadership issue, the BJP central leadership is convinced that Raje is the best bet for the party in the state.

Party in charge of the state Kaptan Singh Solanki made it clear that leader of the opposition Vasundhara Raje will be the face of party in the Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.

Replying to a question on the choice of party’s leader in the election, he said, “People of the state like former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and she would naturally be the face of the party.” 

Citing example of Gujarat, Solanki said the party won elections as Narendra Modi was the face of the party there. Similarly “we have a face in Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan,” he said.

Solanki’s statement may add fuel to the fire over leadership issue on which Raje camp and her detractors have crossed swords. 

However, he kept silent when asked who would be the next party president.
The term of the present party president Arun Chaturvedi, opposed to Raje, is set to expire shortly.

He said the issue of the party president would be decided in due course.
Lauding Raje’s first term as the chief minister, he said, “She had led the government very well. The party would fight the election on the basis of her achievements in first term compared to the lacklustre performance of the present government.”

While talking about senior party leader Gulab Chand Kataria’s Mewar yatra, he feigned ignorance.

 “I have no knowledge about it. He did not ask me. Last time, he had cancelled the yatra on my request,” he said.

However, he defended Raje’s feedback exercise. “What she has been doing is good. What is wrong in taking feedback? However, it would have been better had she done it in Jaipur instead of in Dholpur,” he said.