Ahead Of Election, How BJP Balanced Caste Equation In Rajasthan

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is not the face of the BJP in the coming election in Rajasthan, so the party has taken essential measures to get their caste arithmetic right. Last month, the party chose a Brahmin face to head the state unit -- replacing a Jat leader who was at loggerheads with Ms Raje. Today, it elevated a Rajput leader to send a message of inclusion to the politically powerful Rajput community.  

At a legislators' meet in Jaipur today, the party elevated Deputy Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore as the Leader of the Opposition -- a post that had fallen vacant with the exit of party stalwart Gulab Chand Katariya. A strongman of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mr Kataria has been made the Governor of Assam.  

Last month, the party had elevated CP Joshi -- Brahmin face and MP from Chittorgarh -- as the chief of the state party unit. He had replaced Satish Poonia, who has been made the Deputy Leader of the Opposition -- a situation that is expected to keep all three communities, Jats, Rajputs and Brahmins, happy.  

In 2018, the BJP had gone to polls under the leadership of Vasundhara Raje, who claimed that all 36 communities in Rajasthan find her appealing.

A Kshatriya from Gwalior, she had married into the Jat Dholpur royal family. Her daughter-in-law belongs to the Gujjar community.  

Given the situation, the BJP did not have to work much on fitting in many other casts. But the party lost in 2018 -- rejected by voters loyal to the decades-old revolving door tradition in the state.

Before the assembly election in 2018, party had made an effort to bring in Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the state unit chief to placate the Rajputs, who were angry with Vasundhara Raje over the Anand Pal encounter case. But Ms Raje had stalled it and Ashok Parnami became the BJP chief.  He resigned after the party lost in the assembly elections.

This time, the caste math became essential in absence of a leader with pan-Rajasthan appeal. While the party plans to use Ms Raje's charisma and not antagonise her, they are equally determined that the reins of leadership do not fall into her hand.