Rajasthan bypoll is a lesson in leadership, unity and ticket sharing for BJP
The rift in the BJP’s Rajasthan unit has intensified after the party’s defeat in recent days. Assembly by-elections in Dhariawad and Vallabhnagar seats, where the party’s candidates were pushed to the third and fourth positions respectively. The BJP will be forced to introspect on this loss and find a way forward for the 2023 assembly elections.
rival camp
The BJP’s defeat has been mainly attributed to the wrong selection of candidates and the party’s failure to give concrete answers to voters’ questions on price hike. But the reason for this loss can also be attributed to large-scale infighting in the party. The rival camp in the party is led by BJP state president Satish Poonia and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. After consecutive defeats in bypolls, Ms Raje’s supporters are demanding that she be brought to the center and projected as the party’s face for the next elections. Not only was Ms. Raje sidelined during the exercise of selecting contestants, but the sentiments of local party workers in the two constituencies were also largely disregarded. Ms. Raje did not visit the two constituencies during campaigning and blamed her daughter-in-law’s ill health for her absence.
According to political observers, the top BJP leadership, which marginalized Ms Raje, will have to think of ways to bring her back to infuse energy among party workers. The formation of a new organization in support of Ms Raje earlier this year had created a stir in political circles in the state, with its office-bearers urging her to be appointed chief minister in the event of the party’s victory in the 2023 elections. Since the Congress came to power in 2018, Ms Raje has remained silent on state issues and avoids public appearances.
Two of Ms Raje’s loyalists – former MLAs Prahlad Gunjal and Bhavani Singh Rajawat – have questioned the party’s defeat in the bypolls and demanded that she be handed over the leadership. Mr. Gunjal said that the present leadership should not only accept the responsibility of defeat but should also realize that only Ms. Raje is capable of competing with a strong Congress leader like Ashok Gehlot. About 20 MLAs loyal to Ms. Raje recently wrote to the BJP state president alleging bias in the proceedings of the assembly. The BJP had earlier expelled former minister Rohitash Sharma, considered close to Ms Raje, from primary membership for six years on grounds of breach of party discipline. Raje, however, asks why he should be brought back when the party lost the 2018 elections under his leadership.
Meanwhile, Congress attacked the BJP saying that the party is a divided force and many of its leaders are eyeing the chief minister’s post. Speculation has intensified about Ms. Raje’s growing differences with the BJP’s state leadership and the party’s central leaders’ growing clout in the state. Denying rumors of factionalism, Mr Poonia is trying to focus on the ruling Congress, which is also embroiled in infighting. This came to the fore last year when the then Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and some MLAs had revolted. Mr Poonia has said that the Congress is using Rajasthan to save its credibility and its support to farmers agitating against the three agricultural laws is “political hypocrisy”.
The BJP has got only one seat in the seven by-elections held in the state since the last assembly elections. While Congress also has issues, it formed a united front for the elections. This by-election is a lesson in leadership, unity and ticket distribution for the BJP.
mohammed.iqbal@thehindu.co.in
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