Factional fights cast a shadow as Rajasthan BJP prepares for 2023 polls

Shashi Bhushan

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) A year before the Assembly polls, putting an end to infighting in the Rajasthan unit is turning out to be a major challenge for the BJP. The party is trying hard to end the infighting between former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and others.

Fighting over the party faces for next year's election has already started and all the camps are asserting their claim to lead the BJP in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly polls.

The saffron camp believes that there is strong anti-incumbency against the Ashok Gehlot government and everything is moving in the right direction for the BJP's victory in next year's Assembly polls. However, there is anxiety among the cadre that the infighting may affect the party's prospects.

"There is strong anti-incumbency against the Gehlot government. No government in the history of India has faced so much anti-incumbency before completing the first half of its tenure and it is growing day by day. The BJP is on the ground among the people and will dislodge this corrupt and incompetent government next year," a party insider said.

But the main challenge is turning out to be putting up a united front in the next Assembly polls. Explaining the situation in the Rajasthan BJP, a party leader said: "Our main concern is not the Congress party but the factionalism and infighting within. Infighting among supporters of both the camps is damaging the party more than the Congress."

As Raje is not on the same page as the state leadership, her supporters are running a parallel organiSation by launching the 'Vasundhara Raje Samarthak Manch Rajasthan' in a show of strength and organising events to put the party in an awkward position.

On the other hand the BJP state leadership is taking action against her supporters on grounds of discipline to send a message in her camp.

Raje held one such show of strength on her birthday on March 8. Her supporters are trying hard to force the Central leadership to announce her as the party face in the Rajasthan Assembly polls scheduled for end 2023.

The opponents of the former chief minister are leaving no stone unturned to end her one-upmanship in the party and show their strength from time to time.

Raje's differences with Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia are an open secret in the state. Poonia had also celebrated his birthday in October last year to show his strength. The Poonia camp claimed that a majority of the party MLAs, a number of former MLAs and around a dozen MPs turned up for the event.

After Raje's birthday celebration, Rajasthan BJP in-charge, Arun Singh had said: "Celebrating a birthday is Ok but one should remember that the party is supreme and everyone comes later."

Referring to statements made by Raje's supporters during the birthday celebration, Singh had said: "The party is maintaining a record of all such statements and will take action at the right time. Such party workers should not come complaining if action is taken against them."

Citing the example of the party's defeat in last year's by-polls, a leader said that there are a few reasons for the BJP's defeat in the by-polls but the main reason was infighting and lack of unity.

There were efforts within the party to sideline Raje in the last few years and it started even before the last Assembly elections in 2018 and intensified after the party lost power in the state. But despite all this she has been appointed BJP national vice president and still wields strong influence in the Rajasthan unit of the party.