Bhati146;s 145;homecoming146; is Raje card against dissidence

In a political twist to reservation controversy in Rajasthan, founder president of the Samajik Nyay Manch Devisingh Bhati joined the BJP on Monday.

In a political twist to reservation controversy in Rajasthan, founder president of the Samajik Nyay Manch Devisingh Bhati joined the BJP on Monday. Bhati has been vociferous in his demand for reservations on economic basis for the upper class for more than five years now.

The event at the state BJP headquarters here was marked by the presence of about 10,000 supporters of Bhati and senior BJP leaders, who completed the formalities. Present on the occasion were Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and several of her Cabinet ministers, state in-charge Gopinath Munde, National General Secretary Om Prakash Mathur, National Treasurer Ramdas Agarwal and others.

Dissidents in the Raje Cabinet8212;Social Justice Minister Madan Dilawar, Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Education Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari and State General Secretary Organisation Prakashchandra8212;were, however, conspicuous by their absence. Bhati is not on good terms with the dissidents who have rocked the state unit of the party time and again. His re-entry into the BJP seems to be a deliberate attempt by senior leaders to sideline the dissidents.

Bhati, who for the first time entered the Assembly on a Janata Dal ticket, later joined the BJP and then left the party to form the Manch to demand reservations for upper class people. He has been the MLA from Kolayat in Bikaner since 1980 and has a strong following.

On Monday, Bhati said 8220;it was like a homecoming8221; for him. A Rajput by caste, Bhati claimed that during his recent meeting with Raje, he had been assured that his demand for reservation on economic basis would be looked into. When asked, senior party leaders avoided talking about the issue.

Sources within the party claimed that Bhati was likely to get a berth in the Raje Cabinet. 8220;He is being brought in a big way and hence he will definitely be given an important charge. He is Raje8217;s card against the dissidents,8221; said a senior office-bearer.

However, several senior leaders also believe that while the BJP may benefit by winning the support of Rajputs and other upper caste communities, the party might lose Jat voters. They also expressed apprehensions that Bhati8217;s entry might lead to more differences and disputes within the party.

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Along with Bhati, three MLAs of the INLD too came back to the BJP on Monday. All three8212;Vijay Bansal, Kaluram Jatav and Bhadursingh Godara8212;were members of the BJP but had left the party prior to Assembly elections in 2003 as they were not given tickets.