What happens to Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Chouhan? Few answers, except that they can’t be ‘ignored’

The BJP’s central leadership has not yet revealed its cards about what is in store for the two former CMs. With age – Chouhan is 64 and Raje is 70 – and popular support still on their side, the central leadership could offer them new roles either within the party or in the central government, say party leaders.

Both Chouhan and Raje have had stints in Union governments before they were moved to their states. Party insiders say Raje was offered a chance to move to the Centre after the BJP came to power in 2014, but she declined it.

Despite the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo taking complete control of the party, Raje held her bastion in Rajasthan with a significant chunk of party leaders, including legislators, pledging their loyalties to her, thus giving her a say in the state affairs of the BJP. However, after she lost power in Rajasthan to Ashok Gehlot in 2018, the central leadership had begun its attempts to bring in a fresh leadership in the state.

Similarly, Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh developed a clout of his own during his long tenure as CM. In 2018, even after the BJP formed its government post the Jyotiraditya Scindia rebellion in the Congress, he managed to keep his popularity intact by introducing a slew of women-centric welfare schemes.

Now that the BJP has affected a generational shift in both the states, party leaders are divided over the fate of the regional bigwigs. A senior party leader, who was involved in the election in one of the states, said it is almost impossible to keep them without assignments.

“They (Chouhan and Raje) will not be without assignment. What the assignment will be, whether they would accept it or when it would be given to them, are questions which I cannot answer now. Ours is an organisation that respects karyakartas, and top leaders with good following cannot be kept away from activities,” the leader said.

The senior functionary said many believe mandates in both the states are for the leaders. “If they choose not to accept what is offered to them, it may take more time (to decide),” the leader said and added that the assignment could be in the Central government.

Another senior party leader pointed out that Chouhan could be offered an opportunity at the Centre and it was entirely up to him to accept or decline it. Another senior party functionary claimed that the former Madhya Pradesh CM’s public remarks about his future plans could have “upset” the Central leadership and “it was highly unlikely that he would be offered a chance in Delhi now”.

Chouhan, while dismissing questions about him contesting Lok Sabha polls as imaginary, has ruled out a shift to the national capital. “One thing I say with great humility is that I would rather die than go and ask for something for myself. That’s not my job. That’s why I had said that I will not go to Delhi.” However, on Tuesday, he also said he would abide by the party’s decision and that he was “committed to its larger mission”.