BJP to decide on future of Vasundhara Raje soon, may promote new leadership ahead of 2023 Assembly polls  

With Assembly polls in Rajasthan set to take place next year the Bharatiya Janata Party is contemplating on the future role of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Raje has served as the chief minister of the state twice and leader of opposition in Rajasthan assembly between 2009-2013.

Over the past few years, the central leadership has been facing a tough time reigning in the former chief minister as she tries to interfere in the functioning of the state unit. The saffron unit doesn't want a repeat of the 2018 Assembly poll results and is now expected to put its foot down and ask other leaders to take on a more active role ahead of the state polls scheduled for the later part of next year.

Over the past few years, Raje has been working behind the scene to continue to maintain her hold over the state unit of the party. The effects of the tussle are being felt in the party and several state leaders are understood to have apprised the Central leadership of this constant meddling.

With the less than cooperative attitude of Vasundhara with the Central leadership, the party is understood to be thinking about promoting new leadership ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls.

It is learnt that the BJP's central leadership wants to groom young and more committed leaders in the state who are able to devote adequate time to serving the organisation. With Assembly polls still more than a year away, the party feels that it is the right time to make changes in the state leadership.

Importance of Rajasthan

Rajasthan has been a troubling state for the central BJP as it has been unable to rein in the ambitions of Vasundhara. Though the party was able to secure a majority of seats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state, it lost to the Congress in the 2018 Assembly polls.

The BJP-Rashtriya Loktantrik Party alliance had secured all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2019, a 100 per cent strike rate for the party. This completely reversed the Assembly polls outcome as the BJP was only able to secure 75 seats in the 200 members in the recently held state Assembly polls, losing the crucial state to the Congress which was able to secure 99 seats.

Securing the State Assembly is being considered crucial for the BJP as it wants to win a majority of Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2023 as well. The repeated good performance of the party in the Lok Sabha polls is often credited to the charisma and appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, the party doesn't want to take a chance in the 2024 general elections and wants a BJP government securely in place in the 2023 Assembly polls. And the general belief in the top central leadership continues to be that the influence of Raje needs to be curtailed if the BJP wants to return to power in the state.