BJP firm on removing Vasundhara

A defiant Vasundhara Raje today paraded 50 legislators, who swore by her leadership, before senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the national capital to stall the party’s moves to shift her out of Rajasthan as a reprimand for the party’s defeat in two consecutive elections in the state.

The group of legislators led by Rajendra Singh Rathore, chief whip of the party, met party president Rajnath Singh. However, they were snubbed by L K Advani, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is presumed to be in favour of Raje’s continuation, as he refused to see them.

The angry legislators even staged an impromptu sit-in outside Advani’s highly guarded residence for nearly an hour.

Raje had earlier ignored the party’s orders that she must quit the post of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. Even today she refused to come to New Delhi for consultations with party chief Rajnath Singh on the pretext that “she does not travel on a day of fasting — Janamashtami”.

The legislators’ memorandum to Singh is an assertion by the elected representatives that they “do not want anyone other than Raje as their leader”. Rajnath Singh, however, was not amused by the pressure tactics being used by Raje and is reported to have told her supporters that “the party was firm on its stand (to shift Raje)”.

The BJP chief is also reported to have told them that it was the party’s and not his decision to shift the former chief minister.

The legislators gave a memorandum to Rajnath Singh, supporting Raje’s continuation. Rathore claimed while 57 legislators had come to Delhi, five others had given their letters of support for her.

Ironically, Raje was sent from Delhi to end the infighting in the state party. Later in 2003, she was even credited with leading the BJP to its biggest victory in the state. Now she is sought to be punished for having failed the party in the state Assembly and later the Lok Sabha poll this year.