BJP's central leadership steps in to stem factionalism in Rajasthan unit, asks leaders to stay united for 2023

New Delhi: Unhappy with continued factionalism in Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajasthan unit, the central leadership of the saffron unit has asked state leadership to maintain discipline and decorum to ensure victory in the 2023 Legislative Assembly polls.

The stern message was necessitated after reports of differences between former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and BJP state unit chief Satish Poonia over several issues including joining of BJP rebels back to the party fold, finalising of candidates and strategy for next year’s Assembly polls, sources said.

Sources stated that the move to rein in various factions came weeks after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to Rajasthan last month. He is also understood to have held detailed discussions with state leadership regarding the Assembly polls.  

The top leadership of the BJP has also instructed the state leadership to work as a united front and avoid factionalism to regain power in the crucial border state, sources stated. The messaging was clear as Shah also held discussions with top state BJP leadership and discussed strategy with BJP general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Arun Singh, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, state BJP president Satish Poonia and leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria during his visit.

The message to present a united front against the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is likely to be reiterated during BJP chief JP Nadda’s scheduled tour of Rajasthan on October 20-21.

With two top BJP leaders already getting a ground sense, the saffron unit is expected to finalise its strategy for the 2023 Legislative Assembly polls soon.

Sources stated that the BJP chief is expected to hold detailed discussions with various factions in the state unit and seek their views regarding crucial issues. With just about one year before state legislative assembly polls, the BJP wants to ensure that its political strategy and moves are in place in time to ensure its victory.

Rajasthan is an important state for the BJP and it wants to return to power in the bordering state in next year's Assembly polls. The party believes that it can easily defeat the Congress government in the state as it battles factionalism between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot.

Rajasthan is the only big state that is being governed by the Congress and by defeating it the BJP hopes to boost the morale of its cadre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, sources said.

BJP's biggest challenge in Rajasthan

The biggest challenge that the BJP will be facing in Rajasthan would not come from the ruling Congress. Rather, it will be how the saffron unit's central leadership tackles factionalism within the party.

Among the issues that will be sorted by the BJP's top leadership will be the joining of various leaders who had earlier deserted the party. Sources said a decision on the issue will be taken after evolving consensus amongst the state leaders.

It is believed that the 2018 Assembly polls were lost by the BJP due to factionalism plaguing the state unit.

This time, however, the party hopes to rein in various factions and ensure a smooth takeover from Congress. In the 2018 polls, Congress was able to scrape through by securing 100 seats in the 200-member Assembly. While the BJP came second at 75 seats. Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents claimed the remaining seats paving way for Gehlot to form the government.

The party feels that rebels from the BJP ensured the formation of the Congress government and this needs to be avoided at all costs by bringing all the factions together.  Sources stated that the BJP is also trying to bring back party rebels to its fold for ensuring the victory of saffron candidates across the state.    

Party sources stated that the Gehlot government, which is already on the back foot over the deteriorating law and order situation and its alleged minority appeasement stance, could be pushed into a corner through strong and relentless pressure on these issues.

Despite losing the state polls, the very next year the BJP-RLP alliance secured all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2019, completely reversing the Assembly polls outcome of 2018. However, the central leadership of the BJP doesn’t want a slip-up and feels that a BJP government entrenched in the state would ensure a smoother victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.