Raje's personal life in public domain

The controversy related to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and former IPL chief Lalit Modi has taken an ugly turn.

The allegations over financial dealings with Lalit Modi and controversial ownership of Dholpur Palace have brought the chief minister’s private life in public domain. Raje’s strained relations with husband Hemant Singh and family dispute over properties of Dholpur royals have become the hot topic of debate in political and public domain.

In a cover up exercise, the state BJP has now launched a massive attack on the Congress and even challenged the validity of the affidavit which was allegedly issued by Hemant Singh in 1980.

Senior leadership in the state is apprehensive that the Congress and other opponents may go on to target Raje with baseless allegations just to defame her in public domain.

In such a situation, thin lines between personal and political life of Raje will get blurred.  
“The Congress is in the habit of remaining in power and this time they are finding it hard to sit in opposition. This is only the reason they are trying to create political instability in the state where ruling party has two third majority in the House,” said Ashok Parnami, state BJP chief.

We have all documentary evidence and we will give them strong reply each time they level false allegations, he added.

Senior party leaders are having a tough time when they are asked about the reasons behind strained relations between Raje and her estranged husband and son Dushyant’s dispute with his father.

“We have already shown the legal documents that proves Dushyant’s ownership on all the properties of Dholpur royals. Reason of dispute among family members has nothing do with the ownership and the allegations,” said Parnami. Affidavit issued by Hemant Singh is wrong and we don’t know from where it has come, he added.

If reports are to be believed, Raje got married to Hemant Singh in 1972 and relations turned sour after the birth of their only child Dushyant.

The marriage was annulled by a court, but the decree was challenged by Raje allegedly to maintain the title of maharani which itself carry several legal rights. Amid the troubles that don’t seem to stop for Raje, she has shifted her focus completely on performing her duties.

One of her close aide, Digamber Singh who lost Assembly elections and later the by-election, was given a political post a few days back.

Despite being in controversy, Raje has chaired two Cabinet meetings in last two weeks. One theory suggests that it’s the part of BJP’s strategy to show that controversy has not affected Raje.

 But appointment of Digamber Singh at this juncture of time has given rise to speculation that perhaps Raje knows that her days are numbered.