JOIN USThe expansion of BJP’s national executive has strengthened the stature of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, both on home turf and among the national leadership of the party.
Senior leaders, initially seen in the anti-Raje camp, have again been sidelined while close aides, including son Dushyant Singh, have been given new roles at the national level.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team had been opposing politics of dynasty, but this time both Raje and her son have been given a place in the national executive.
After Modi’s visit to Ganganagar district of Rajasthan to launch the soil health card scheme, inclusion of Dushyant in the national executive is the second instance which has put an end to the strong gossip of Raje’s differences with Modi and the party’s national leadership.
Health Minister Rajendra Rathore, state BJP chief Ashok Parnami, former BJP president Mahesh Sharma, Home Minister Gulab Kataria, MP Arjun Meghwal, former national treasurer Ramdas Agarwal are among the eight new Rajasthan leaders in the national executive who are either ardent followers of Raje or have fallen in line after she took over the reins in Rajasthan.
Leaders like Ghanshyam Tiwari have again been sidelined despite assurances by BJP’s UP in-charge Om Mathur a day before in Sikar. At a public rally, had announced that Tiwari was a senior leader and BJP could not ignore him any more.
During the formation of the central government, Jhalawar MP Dushyant Singh was denied a ministerial berth and those considered in the rival camp were inducted instead to cut Raje down to size.
Lack of support from central leaders on various occasions and downsizing the financial grants to Rajasthan had also fuelled strong rumours of differences between the state and the Centre.
According to party insiders, the victory of Aam Aadmi Party in New Delhi is also one of the reasons for the change in relations between the state and the top leadership. The BJP’s loss in Delhi may just be the boost Raje needs to revive her falling popularity in Delhi.
Amid differences with the top leadership, Raje had been working in complete isolation in the last few months. Moreover, increasing activity in the state Congress and AAP’s increasing presence in Rajasthan are reasons enough for the party to patch up internal differences.