BJP state president battle: Focus shifts to Delhi

With the BJP state president’s post still up for grabs after Ashok Parnami’s exit, the lobbying has shifted to Delhi. It is believed that the name of a party president will be disclosed this week.

Over half-a-dozen ministers of the Rajasthan government, MPs, senior leaders and MLAs are camping in the Capital to put forth their views on the issue to the leadership.

They include Rajendra Rathore, Younus Khan, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Prabhu Lal Saini, Dr Rampratap, Kiran Maheshwari, Babu Singh Rathore, Bhawani Singh Rajawat, Surendra Pal Singh TT, Darshan Singh Gurjar, Bhajan Lal Sharma, Ramnarayan Dudi and Ram Singh Kaswan.  

These BJP leaders, who have parked themselves in Delhi, are staying at Rajasthan House.

It is believed that leaders have gone there to voice their opinion about which of the two candidates – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat or Arjun Meghwal – would help the party reap electoral benefits during the assembly polls slated for the year-end.  

However, none of these leaders are either willing to comment or confirm on their being in Delhi. Agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini ran into media persons at Rajasthan House and said, “It is a personal trip. It has nothing to do with the issue of the state president in Rajasthan.”    

The Rajasthan leaders, who were in small groups, met national leaders. They talked to national general secretary, organisation, Ramlal, national vice-president and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna apart from national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav. According to sources, none could manage to meet Amit Shah.     

The most important meeting is believed to be the one between Ramlal and several leaders from the state. This group included a minister, four MLAs, one MP and one former MP where the issue was discussed at length.

According to a source, “The purpose of this exercise is to put forth ground realities in Rajasthan. With hardly any time before the elections, the party president will have to be selected with the consent of the chief minister.”   

The New names

• Discussion of two new names for the state BJP president has been initiated, sources said. Name of Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Pancharia has been forwarded by the RSS.  
• Pancharia is considered a favourite of national president Amit Shah and represents the Brahmin community.
• The name of UDH minister Shrichand Kriplani has been sent on behalf of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s group. Kriplani has been a steadfast Raje loyalist and served as an MP earlier.
• The fault lines are now out in the open over the proposed name of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the state BJP chief ahead of elections this year. Some of Raj’s BJP leaders are opposing Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s candidature as state chief