Farmers Movement Archive

BJP continues to struggle to put up a united face

State BJP, despite being the main opposition party in, continues to struggle to present a united face against the ruling Congress as the government entered the fourth year. The debacle in the assembly elections in 2018 followed by defeats in seven out of eight bypolls in assembly segments has kept the party struggling in the state. The party was more in news for the internal rift between BJP state president Satish Poonia and former CM Vasundhara Raje than posing a collective front against the Gehlot government. Even during the political crisis last June-July, BJP was looking for the opportunity to form its government while at the same time having to rush his MLAs to Gujarat fearing defection. The power struggle started with the death of its state president Madan Lal Saini followed by a strong pitch by Raje to appoint her loyalist as the next chief. Raje’s efforts didn’t yield desired results as the party high command surprised everyone by appointing Poonia for the top post in September 2019. The decision didn’t go well with the established state leaders who considers him inexperienced. Like any other president, Poonia started building movements against the state government by raising issues like unfulfilled promises—Farm laws, unemployment allowance, rise in power bills etc amid internal bickering. His position grew stronger with the appreciation for leading an aid programme during the first and second waves of Covid by PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. While Raje’s conspicuous absence from the party meetings, the sudden rise of groups like Team Vasundhara Raje proclaiming her the sole leader in the state, her religious cum political tours have put her in direct confrontation with party high command. Raje’s recent three-day visit to Udaipur and Ajmer division has created a ripple effect in the political circles of the state. Her prominent presence in Union Amit Shah rally in Jaipur on December 5 is seen as toeing the party line. The absence of collective fight by the opposition has given Congress a walkover on several issues such as electricity crisis, price rise and poor law and order situation. The recent defeat of BJP candidates in Vallabhnagar and Dhariawad bypolls has raised the alarm bell in the party’s central leadership. The situation forced the Union home minister Amit Shah to hold a rally and public address in Jaipur to revive the party carder. The visit will be followed by BJP’s national president JP Nadda who will visit in January 2022 to push the party to show a collective face in the state..

The Times of India

2021-12-17

Jaipur