With about a score incidents of police firing on people in her four years of rule and a large section of her party’s state leadership gunning for her
NEW DELHI: With about a score incidents of police firing on people in her four years of rule and a large section of her party’s state leadership gunning for her, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje would seem to be on a shaky ground.
She is not, yet. Despite the clamour for her removal, the BJP central leadership does not agree that replacing her would help matters, although, with state elections barely six months away, it is conscious of the deteriorating situation and spreading Gurjar unrest against Raje.
What the Gurjar agitation has done is to bring out the ham-handed tackling of a tricky situation, according to state BJP leaders. Former state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi went on record blaming a serious communication gap and lack of timely action for the crisis.
The BJP has tried to send its Gurjar leaders to their areas to try and mollify their angry community. In the current scenario, however, they have chosen not to venture out.
The central leadership is backing Raje. It deliberated on the situation in Rajasthan and, although worried at the run of events, has said there was no question of asking her to step down. The top leaders, LK Advani and Rajnath Singh, are reportedly in regular touch with Raje.
With elections nearing, the vote base calculations do not seem to worry the BJP too much. If the Gurjars get consolidated against it, it hopes for a consolidation of votes of Meenas and other social groups against them. The Meenas have 30-0dd MLAs in the assembly against eight from the Gurjar community.
Besides, a section of the Gurjar community – like the Meenas too – is attracted towards Mayawati’s BSP.
The Gurjar anger would do little harm to the BJP and no good to the Congress if it goes in favour of the BSP.
As a BJP functionary put it, “We are safe in Rajasthan. The Gurjar agitation has alienated other groups so much that they have become sympathetic to the Raje government. They will back her fully.”
s_rajesh@dnaindia.net
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