Raje meets Rajnath, Advani

After resisting the leadership for over ten days, Raje held an hour-long meeting with Advani here and was understood to have discussed her demands before she steps down.

Later, she met Singh, who has been insisting that she quit her post, to put forth her views.

Party sources said Raje wanted her successor as the Leader of the Opposition to belong to her camp. This could be the main bone of contention between the two rival factions in the party’s Rajasthan unit.

The group opposed to Raje, which is considered to have RSS backing, wants to replace her with its own candidate.

Sources close to Rajnath said Raje might be offered the post of national general secretary or vice-president after she resigned as the Leader of the Opposition, but the appointment in Delhi might not be immediate.

“Raje has made things difficult for herself by showing her belligerence through delay in submitting her resignation and sending her MLAs to Delhi to take up her cause,” a party leader said.

Raje is said to be also insisting on withdrawal of suspension of two party MLAs in Rajasthan loyal to of her — Gyan Dev Ahuja and Rajendra Singh Rathore.

Though Raje had sent her loyalist MLAs to the party central leadership to argue her case and demand withdrawal of the order seeking her resignation, she herself has not spoken against the top brass.

“There is nothing to say except... I cannot understand all this because I respect my people in the party... the senior leaders of the party... I was always meant to come here after the Chintan Baithak (in Shimla) and so I am here,” she said.