Vasundhara Raje still a force to reckon with in BJP

She may not have been projected as the chief ministerial face of this Assembly elections, but over the last few days, Vasundhara Raje has shown that she remains a force to reckon with, in the state BJP.

BJP’s second and third lists have seen many of her loyalists being accommodated, giving credence to the fact that her opinions still matter. Poll observers say her lobbying power for her loyalists shows her mettle. She herself will contest from her traditional seat, Jhalarapatan.

The first list of 41 names did not feature any of her favourites, leading many to believe that she has indeed been sidelined as media reports say. BJP was first off the block to declare candidates, but it took time before the second and third lists.

Poll analysts say factionalism in the state unit has left the BJP cadres befuddled. Moreover, many contenders for the top post has created more confusion.

But, as and when the lists came out, it was indicative that Raje still has a lot of clout in the party. “She has demonstrated her power and has indicated that BJP cannot afford to ignore her under any circumstances,” Narayan Bareth told Deccan Herald.

She has been working behind the scenes, almost in a guarded way. She has reached out to the disgruntled leaders, Anita Singh who was denied a ticket from Nagar Assembly constituency and Vijay Bansal, a former BJP MLA suspended from the party. She is also someone who has appeal across all castes. “Her outreach has been to pacify the dissenting leaders and she has tackled them in her own way, motivating many in the way,” says Bareth.

And if BJP gets a majority, Raje remains a serious contender for the chief ministerial position.

The other contenders for the CM post like Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, state president C P Joshi, leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, deputy leader of Opposition Satish Poonia, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, whose names were being discussed, seem to have lost steam for now. “Any one of them can still be accommodated if BJP comes to power. But none of them is as popular or has a mass appeal as Raje.” Bareth adds.

But there are many who differ.

Sunil Bhargava, head of BJP’s state policy and research wing, told DH that Raje has always been part of the core team. “She is the national vice-president. She has always been part of the core group that finally decides the tickets.”

About her loyalists being accommodated, Bhargava says : “Many of the so-called loyalists are also sitting MLAs and have been ministers during her tenure. So giving them tickets is natural. These stories about Raje being sidelined are only media generated. She always has had a big say in the party in whichever context. And most tickets have been given on merit.”

Reiterating the elected MLAs would choose their chief minister, Bhargava says that has been the BJP tradition. Raje, however, had been projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the last two polls in 2003 when she won for the first time and again in 2013 when she got a landslide majority for the BJP.

About the other contenders for the CM post not matching up to Raje’s popularity, Bhargava says all of them are BJP workers. “Initially in 2003 when Raje first came to Rajasthan, even she was not popular. Neither was Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh. But over the years they have grown with their ground work and outreach. So all the other contenders have a fair chance and would eventually become mass leaders, courtesy the party. As BJP president J P Nadda already clarified that the party is any day bigger than the individual and not the other way round.”

Raje, meanwhile, has started her campaign and participated in the nomination filing of a number of party colleagues in Assembly constituencies like Bali and Bilada.

Although she criticised the Congress government for false guarantees and the false promises of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, she has not personally attacked Gehlot in the recent past.

Gehlot in May this year had said that Raje and former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah had helped him to overcome the crisis faced because of the rebellion by his deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs of his camp.

Raje had then countered that Gehlot had insulted her “like no one else in Rajasthan.”

While Kailash Meghwal has been suspended and Kushwah has joined Congress, Raje remains at the helm in state BJP.