Rajasthan polls: Is BJP planning to field Vasundhara Raje against Ashok Gehlot?

Is the BJP planning to field Vasundhara Raje against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan? The scuttlebutt in certain quarters is that Raje, the former two-time chief minister and Jhalarapatan Assembly MLA, could take on Gehlot in the Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur. Raje has been elected from Jhalarapatan five consecutive times, while Gehlot has held his seat Sardarpura seat for over two decades. Let’s take a closer look: News18 quoted sources as saying that the BJP is preparing to field Raje against Gehlot in Sardarpura. However, sources told the outlet Raje seemingly wants to contest polls from her Jhalarapatan stronghold and that she has ‘no plans’ to take on Gehlot in Sardarpura. The BJP has tapped Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat as its backup, as per the outlet. The report comes just a day after Union home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda began discussions with the party’s Rajasthan leadership regarding the upcoming state Assembly polls – and amid a buzz that two central ministers might be asked to contest.

Raje was amongst a slew of big names that welcomed Shah and Nadda at the Jaipur airport.

Party sources said Shah and Nadda began discussions by holding a 15-minute meeting with Raje. Shah and Nadda then met senior leaders and discussed constituencies and election strategy. Feedback on four ‘parivartan yatras’ that concluded recently were also taken. Union minister and the BJP’s election in-charge for Rajasthan Pralhad Joshi, co-in-charge Nitin Patel, the party’s in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh, state president C P Joshi, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Rajendra Rathore, Deputy Leader of Opposition and former state president Satish Poonia and other leaders were present at the meeting, source said. They added that Union Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat and Law Minister Meghwal might be fielded in the Assembly polls due in months, along with some other MPs. The visit by Shah and Nadda follows a rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi near Jaipur on Monday to mark the completion of the yatras that touched all 200 Assembly constituencies in the state. The BJP is now planning events focusing on youngsters, farmers and women. Why does this matter? The chatter around Raje follows the BJP’s decision to name three Union ministers and four other MPs in its second list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls – also due by the year-end – and the name of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan remaining conspicuous by its absence. The BJP has seemingly committed to a strategy of not announcing a face for any of the polls slated to be held this year. The party is looking for “collective leadership” to carry the day. The development also comes just days after a photo of a meeting between Raje and Gehlot raised eyebrows.

pic.twitter.com/zWxeQB0xlj

— Office Of Vasundhara Raje (@OfficeVRaje) September 22, 2023

As per New Indian Express, Raje’s name – and that of her backers – was also missing from two crucial BJP committees for the Rajasthan polls. A piece in NDTV said the developments signal ominous portends for both Raje and Chouhan – both of whom have loomed over their states for decades. [caption id=“attachment_12703792” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Some say Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been shocked by the developments. ANI[/caption] “A two-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan, she is the only charismatic leader with a pan-Rajasthan presence and a solid mass base. It’s not that the BJP has found another mass leader to replace Vasundhara Raje. Those being groomed as her likely successors are too lightweight and have no presence beyond their constituencies. They cannot be relied upon to win state elections for the party. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Satish Punia, CP Joshi, and Om Birla are no match for Vasundhara Raje,” the piece noted.

A piece in The Telegraph India said the BJP had sent a signal to Raje through Chouhan’s exclusion.

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The piece quoted insiders as saying that the BJP is trying to rein in Chouhan and Raje in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. “Like four-term chief minister Shivraj, former chief minister Vasundhara has been the undisputed leader of the Rajasthan BJP for over two decades but the current dispensation now wants to end her dominance,” the piece stated. A piece in Indian Express noted how Raje was not given a chance to speak during Modi’s rally on Monday – nor was her government mentioned and compared and contrasted with the Gehlot regime. “Almost as if by mutual agreement, the party has kept Raje at an arm’s length from its programmes, while she too has maintained her distance. The anti-Raje camp says that she should have contributed more to the party in the last four years and a half, while those close to her say she was never invited for the programmes she is accused of skipping,” the piece stated. A BJP leader told the newspaper the party envisages a win-win scenario in Rajasthan. “If it wins, it will be in power and will still push for someone other than Raje. If it loses, the Raje era will be finally over,” the leader said. Raje, meanwhile, has vowed to continue to fight for the rights of every Rajasthani. Raje also expressed her appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi for passing the women’s reservation bill in Parliament. Addressing a gathering of women at her residence in Jaipur, she emphasised that the bill highlights the essential role of “female power” in building a new nation. The bill to reserve a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women received parliamentary nod on Thursday as the Rajya Sabha unanimously voted in its favour. It will now require the approval of a majority of the state assemblies. Raje also expressed belief that women’s enthusiasm for the BJP would sweep the Congress government away in Rajasthan, where assembly elections are due later this year. Drawing inspiration from the Mahabharata, Raje pledged to fight for the rights of every Rajasthani. With inputs from agencies