Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana assembly polls are scheduled for the November and December 2018 and both the Congress and the BJP have geared up to fight against each other. However, in the royal state, where BJP is ruling since 2013, is witnessing an extensive ‘infighting’, which could cost the upcoming polls.
Amit Shah’s recent appointment of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as convenor of Election Management Committee in Rajasthan BJP created a controversy within the party circles.
Flashback June 2018, when BJP president Amit Shah wanted Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to be the state party president, but due to strong opposition by Vasundhara Raje to Gajendra’s candidature, the post was kept vacant for nearly two months and finally Vasundhara’s favourite OBC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Madan Lal Saini was appointed to the post and which annoyed the Rajput community.
Following the dispute, reports of differences between Shah and CM Raje had surfaced in political circles. And, questions started rising over Vasundhara’s administration which led to a so-called partition in Rajasthan BJP unit, where Rajput leaders are still on one side and OBC leaders are on Vasundhara’s side, sources claimed.
Speaking on the lines of differences between Amit Shah and Raje, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot told media:
“Amit Shah could not for 75 days get the (state) president of his choice, he had to buckle under the pressure of Vasundhara ji and have a compromise candidate as the BJP president”.
However, after facing several resentments from the Rajput community in Rajasthan, Amit Shah sidelined Vasundhara Raje and in September 2018 Amit Shah appointed Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the convener of the Election Management Committee where Raje is also a member.
Recently, BJP chief Amit Shah during a session with the party leadership in Rajasthan announced that party candidates will be selected after receiving the feedback of grass-root level party workers, reducing CM Raje’s role in candidates’ selection for the upcoming battle.
Possible Reasons, why Raje sidelined?
As per the sources, the Vasundhara Raje government is facing strong anti-incumbency, following that Amit Shah has divided the powers between major leaders of Rajasthan and currently, Vasundhara Raje’s responsibility is only to campaign for BJP in the state.
Disastrous by-elections results, another factor, which raised questions over Raje’s government:
In 2018 Rajasthan assembly by-elections, Congress clean swept on all three constituencies which worried BJP state unit, pertaining to that doubts mounted on Vasundhara’s governance style.
As the election is around the corner, evident ‘groupism’ is raising worries for BJP chief Amit Shah and continuous upliftment of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Rajasthan BJP is creating doubts over Raje’s future in the state.
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