Suspense over new BJP state chief continues; MLAs in Delhi to lobby

: Amid the inordinate delay in appointing a new state BJP president, several party leaders from Rajasthan were in Delhi on Monday to meet party state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna.

The MLAs and ministers were from the camp of chief minister Vasundhara Raje and were in Delhi to lobby for the CM, said sources. Among the MLAs who were in Delhi were Babu Singh Rathore, Prabhulal Saini, Ajay Kilak, Yunus Khan, Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, Rajkumar Rinwa, Hem Singh Bhadana and Surendra Pal Singh.

The central leadership is understood to have taken feedback from the leaders to understand the ground situation.

The party is facing an unprecedented situation where it has not been able to appoint a state party president after Ashok Parnami resigned.

The Congress also took a dig at the delay in appointing a state party chief. State Congress president Sachin Pilot said BJP’s loss in the assembly poll was confirmed and in this bleak scenario no one wanted to be a scapegoat.

Party sources said there was a stalemate between the state leadership and the central leadership over the person to be appointed.

Sources say the Centre was in favour of Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, while Raje is in favour of local leaders. Several names are doing the rounds such as Shrichand Kriplani, Arun Chaturvedi, Satish Poonia and Narayanlal Pancharia but no consensus has been reached.

JAIPUR