BJP takes away Luni from under Congress’ nose

Polling was held in Luni on January 24 after the seat fell vacant due to Vishnoi’s death. With this win, the strength of BJP in the 200-member House has risen to 121. The Congress has 55 members.

The BJP claimed that the victory was a stamp of approval on the performance of the 13-month old Vasundhara Raje Government.

‘‘The Vasundhara juggernaut is on a roll. The result shows people are happy with the Government’s performance,’’ said Cabinet minister Rajendra Singh Rathore, also the party’s campaign in-charge. Raje had made at least half-a-dozen sorties to the desert constituency during the low-key campaign. ‘‘The CM’s presence made all the difference,’’ her supporters said.

While the power equation will not change much in the BJP, the result may trigger an overhaul in the Congress. This is only the second time that the BJP has won this Vishnoi stronghold in the Marwar region — considered as the backyard of former CM Ashok Gehlot.

Officially, the Congress had blamed the defeat on ‘‘fraud and malpractices’’ by the BJP. But many blame the ongoing fight between Gehlot and his detractors, led by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Narayan Singh, for the loss.

In Rajasthan Gehlot leads one faction of the party, while the other revolves around Natwar Singh, Narayan and Girija Vyas. The squabble has been on since the Assembly defeat, which had led to Gehlot’s marginalisation from the state politics and the beginning of the Jat era. Gehlot was removed after it was conveyed to the Congress high command that the party would never be able to regain lost ground unless the Jats are given weightage in state politics. But the defeats in Lok Sabha, municipal elections and now Luni indicate that the high command may have to rethink its strategy. ‘‘The Jat triumvirate of Natwar, Narayan and Sis Ram Ola campaigned vigorously during the polls. Look what they achieved?’’ scoffed a Gehlot aide.