Gujarat formula leaves Rajasthan BJP veterans worried

ARCHANA SHARMA

Jaipur, Dec 13 (IANS) The formula implemented by the BJP in the recently concluded Assembly polls in the neighbouring Gujarat is giving sleepless nights to many senior leaders in Rajasthan.

The reason is that many veteran leaders in Gujarat were asked to sit at home while freshers were given a chance to contest elections. The formula produced stunning results, giving the biggest ever victory to the saffron party in the state.

The discussions in the political circles in Rajasthan are now centred around this Gujarat formula and many senior leaders are seen discussing this in hushed tones.

If the Gujarat formula is adopted here, it can prove disastrous for many senior leaders, said sources.

For the BJP, the next election will be contested under the central leadership with the strategies of Sangh, which is quite strong in Rajasthan and is known to put a lot of pressure on the internal affairs of the BJP, confirmed veteran leaders. They said that it will be very difficult for the central leadership of the party to ignore Sangh's decisions which dominate the party organisation.

The party is keen to follow the Gujarat model in Rajasthan too and give a chance to new faces. In fact, Gujarat elections have clarified that not only the new leaders who lost by 10,000 votes and the old leaders, who lost by more than 20,000 votes, may be left out in the contest. Many sitting MLAs, former leaders who were ministers in the state may also be ignored on the basis of their poor performance, they added.

The BJP in Rajasthan is working hard to strengthen its 'Panna' model. Work on 47,000 booths out of 52,000 has been done, the party officials told IANS and, hence, there is clarity that the party is in no mood to take a chance by repeating the losers.

The new faces will be given a chance to prove their worth and the party shall be backing them. This is the winning formula which was followed in Gujarat and last Karnataka polls, said the party workers.

Amid major fractions existing in the saffron party, this decision may widen the conflicts within the organisation, however, the polls will be contested under central leadership and RSS will act as trouble shooters.