Raje tightens the screws,MLAs quit,want her as CM candidate

MLAs loyal to Raje have raised a new demand: that she be named CM candidate for 2013 elections.

A day after former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje threatened to quit the BJP if a yatra planned in south Rajasthan by veteran leader Gulab Chand Kataria was not called off,more than 40 party MLAs offered their resignations to her in a show of solidarity.

While Kataria cancelled his yatra yesterday night in the interest of the party,MLAs loyal to Raje have raised a new demand: that she be named the CM candidate for the 2013 Assembly elections.

Having got the BJP knickers in a twist,Raje downplayed the issue. It is an internal party matter and will be resolved shortly, she said today. Sources close to her stated that BJP president Nitin Gadkari,Arun Jaitley and L K Advani had spoken to Raje.

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Close to 40 MLAs loyal to Raje of the 79 total of the party offered their resignation to her at her residence in Jaipur. Her supporters believe Kataria is positioning himself as an alternative to Raje. Vasundhara Raje is the only mass leader in the state and we want her to be the undisputed face of the party, senior leader Bhawani Singh Rajawat said.

Kataria called the turn of events unfortunate and said the party high command should have taken a decision on the tour. There is no truth to the allegations that I was positioning myself as a CM candidate, said the five-time MLA.

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