RAJASTHAN: ROCKY ROAD FOR RAJE
The BJP seems in disarray ahead of the assembly polls
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be losing the plot in Rajasthan. Avinash Rai Khanna, the party’s vice president in charge of the state’s affairs, rather curiously launched his outreach campaign on June 1, with a visit to Ashok Jain, who had retired as chief secretary on December 31, ostensibly to apprise him of the state government’s policies and programmes!
After more than four years in power, the saffron party is struggling to craft a viable strategy for the assembly elections later this year. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and BJP chief Amit Shah have evidently failed to agree on a replacement for Ashok Parnami, the state unit president who was asked to step down in April after the bypoll debacle in February.
Raje has opposed the candidacy of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (a Rajput) and Arjun Meghwal (a Dalit), citing a possible backlash from rival castes. Insiders, however, say that she’s against installing a ‘Delhi man’ as state president as she wants to retain full control over the allotment of tickets for the assembly polls. The continuing stalemate exposes Raje’s differences with the party high command, but has pleased Jats, OBCs and some upper castes.
Meanwhile, the BJP faces significant antiincumbency in Rajasthan, both due to the failure to communicate the achievements of the state and central government to the masses as also Delhi’s refusal to extend a helping hand by way of a special package for water resources Raje’s been seeking.
Khanna and the state party organisation are trying hard to swing public sentiment toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi before he commences campaigning in Rajasthan. Raje, meanwhile, is trying to resurrect her ‘strong administrator’ image by ordering action against erring officials, dozens of whom have either been placed under suspension or shifting dozens of officials. Having visited 50 assembly segments in the past six months, sources say, the CM is also awaiting an opportune time to embark on a poll yatra.
Worryingly for the chief minister and her partymen, the BJP is in the throes of an extended crisis of confidence in the state. An internal survey has revealed that most booth level workers are just names on a list. At a party organisation meet in Jaipur on June 1, a third of the invitees failed to show up.
At the event, Raje chided her ministers and party MLAs for their arrogance in dealing with workers. Senior functionaries of the party, she said, had no notion of her government’s achievements and workers found themselves at a loss to counter the Congress’s propaganda. National joint secretary V. Satish had to warn legislators against criticising the state government and the party. The next few months certainly won’t be easy for the chief minister.
Raje doesn’t want Delhi’s man as state BJP president