Ten days after the BJP released its first list of 41 candidates for the November 25 Rajasthan Assembly polls, which includes seven sitting MPs, the party has been grappling with discontent among a section of leaders in various regions of the state, who are upset over denial of tickets to them. Such disgruntled BJP leaders include several senior legislators and ex-MLAs, who are known to be loyalists of party heavyweight and ex-chief minister Vasundhara Raje. In a constituency like Sanchore for instance, where sitting Jalore-Sirohi MP Devji Patel has been fielded, the party activists' resentment against ticket-distribution even resulted in a police case after stones were pelted on the cavalcade of Patel whose candidature is being opposed by discontents. So far, the BJP has not declared the second list of its candidates. Aware that the upcoming polls might turn out to be a close contest between the party and the ruling Congress, the BJP leadership has mounted a massive damage-control exercise, with national party president J P Nadda touring various divisions of Rajasthan, addressing party workers and holding marathon meetings with leaders from various factions. For a long time the state BJP has been witnessing an internal power struggle with several leaders eyeing the CM's post. On Monday, Nadda visited Udaipur and held a meeting of BJP functionaries and workers from the division, where senior leaders, including the party's Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh, state unit chief C P Joshi and Raje were present. In a statement issued later, the BJP said that in his address to party workers in Udaipur, Nadda told them that “We are known because of the party. And the party is known not because of you.” This was seen as a message from the BJP leadership to its Rajasthan leaders to work for the sake of the party instead of their interests. On Tuesday, Nadda along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a marathon meeting in Delhi with all senior Rajasthan leaders, including Union Ministers, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, C P Joshi, Raje and Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, who is the party's Rajasthan election in-charge. The next day, Nadda returned to Rajasthan and visited the Kota and Ajmer divisions to hold meetings with the party rank and file and mobilise them. Later, he launched a scathing attack on the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, claiming that the BJP would win all 17 seats in the Kota division, which is considered to be a stronghold of Raje. Nadda’s hectic visits to Rajasthan are said to be aimed at pacifying miffed BJP leaders who might damage the party's electoral prospects in their respective belts. A case in point is that of former MLA and Raje loyalist Bhawani Singh Rajawat. A three-time MLA between 2003 and 2018, Rajawat was denied ticket in the 2018 Assembly elections and was replaced in his Ladpura constituency with Kalpana Devi, a member of the erstwhile Kota royal family, who went on to win the election. Despite being denied ticket, Rajawat did not rebel or contest the election as an Independent. In the last five years, even as Raje was getting increasingly sidelined in the saffron party, Rajawat would consistently assert that the former CM was the tallest BJP leader in the state. Earlier this month, Rajawat said he has written a letter to the BJP high command, informing it that if he is denied a ticket again, he will contest the election as an Independent and would be also free to join any party. He also accused Kalpana Devi of “ignoring” party workers. However, after meeting Nadda Wednesday, Rajawat softened his stance, saying he was waiting for the party to decide about his ticket. He however stuck to his charge that the incumbent party MLA has ignored party workers in Ladpura. “Let’s see what the party decides. My association with Nadda ji goes back a long time as I was with him at the national executive of the BJYM. I have spoken to him. It is the desire of party workers that I contest the election. Vasundhara ji is our national vice president and the party is doing everything after asking her. I was an MLA continuously for three terms,” Rajawat told The Indian Express on Thursday. When asked whether he is still determined to contest the election as an Independent if denied a ticket, Rajawat said he will wait for the BJP leadership's decision, stressing that he is a “dedicated party worker”.
