Change in BJP poster stokes hope in Vasundhara Raje camp in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Rajasthan politics is abuzz with speculations on return of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje as the BJP's CM candidate, ever since she has appeared on a poster outside the party's office here.

Raje's picture in the poster outside the BJP's state headquarters has stoked her supporters' hope that the leader may yet again be made the party's CM face in the state.

The poster had been replaced recently ahead of the party's working committee meeting which was held on Sunday and Monday at Entertainment paradise, with the concluding session address by BJP president JP Nadda.

The earlier poster bore photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief JP Nadda on one corner, and those of BJP state president Satish Poonia and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria on the other, with the name and symbol of the party in the middle.

In the poster that hangs now outside the party office, Raje finds a place between Poonia and Kataria.

Her supporters believe her picture is a message from the party high command that she may be made the CM candidate in the coming election.

However, the anti-Raje camp dismissed the change in poster as a mere balancing act ahead of the elections, which they say has been done in several other states before a major poll.

Raje's supporters feel that the two-time chief minister has been sidelined by the party after her defeat in 2018, even though the leader continues to mount a show of strength through rallies – such as one she did on her birthday in March – to keep her presence palpable.

"She is back in the poster and the message is clear that the party is giving her importance and this is connected to the upcoming elections. She is a stalwart leader and the party cannot ignore her," said a Raje supporter.

A leader from the Satish Poonia camp said there is nothing unusual in her appearing in the poster.

"Her photos were there on posters during the 'Jan Aakrosh Yatras'. Her photo appearing in posters is not a new thing," he said.

Just like Congress, the BJP in Rajasthan is also beset with infighting, with Poonia and Raje, currently the party's national vice president, engaged in a polar battle.

Asked about the change in BJP poster, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that it was an internal matter of the party.

"It is an internal matter of their party, whether they want to give attention (to her) or not, our path is clear. When our government came in 1998, we had 156 seats, I was the PCC chief then. I would like to move ahead with 'Mission 156'. We have already started work in that direction," he told reporters.