Before deciding on Raje, BJP high command to restore order in Raj unit

Rajasthan will become a political hotspot in the ongoing month as the country's two biggest parties - the BJP and the Congress - are scheduled to hold meetings in the desert state with a view to the upcoming Assembly elections.

While the Congress is scheduled to hold a two-day Chintan Shivir from May 13-15 in Udaipur to discuss how to improve its prospects, the BJP, will on May 20-21, hold a meeting of national office bearers in Jaipur to strengthen the organisation and prepare for the upcoming elections in the state.

Both parties will also formulate strategies for the Assembly elections in nine states to be held in 2022 and 2023.

Sensing the BJP high command's desire, BJP national Vice President and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has started efforts for reconciliation.

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Though Raje's and party high command's up and down relationship is well-known, for the past month and a half, she has been trying to improve the ties.

In this time, she has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national President J.P. Nadda, and Union Minister and former party chief Nitin Gadkari and to present her point of view.

On March 24, Raje met the Prime Minister, Gadkari, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajasthan BJP in-charge Arun Singh.

Raje, who had gone to Dehradun for attending the oath-taking ceremony of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, met Amit Shah at airport.

On March 29, she met Nadda in the national capital.

Now the question arises that whether Raje's efforts bore fruit? What is the BJP high command thinking about Rajasthan. Will BJP fight the polls announcing a Chief Ministerial candidate or under the collective leadership.

Talking to IANS, a senior BJP leader said currently, the party will try to root out factionalism prevalent in the state unit. That's why on April 19, Nadda had advised party workers to fight unitedly against the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.

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The meeting that lasted for around four hours and 45 minutes at Nadda's place was attended by national General Secretary, Organisation, B.L. Santosh, Arun Singh, Raje, party state President Satish Poonia, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Arjun Ram Meghwal (both hailing from the state), state General Secretary, Organisation, Chandrashekhar, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Gulabchand Kataria, among other top leaders.

How important is Rajasthan for the BJP can be gauged from the fact that the before the May 20-21 meet of the party, Nadda will visit the state for two days from May 10.

Amit Shah will be visiting tribal areas of the state this month while Arun Singh will be on a seven-day visit to the state.

Asked about the party's strategy, the leader told IANS that Raje had served as Chief Minister and there is no doubt that, she is a strong BJP leader and that is why the party has given her the important responsibility but as far as chief ministerial face is concerned, it depends on the political situation of the state concerned.

It is being said that most of the leaders in the saffron party are of the view that the polls be fought under collective leadership. However, for the final decision and announcement of the BJP on a chief ministerial face will have to wait till the poll dates get closer.