New Delhi:
Officially, the BJP says Vasundhara Raje has to go. Unofficially, though, there are serious differences within the party's parliamentary board over whether Raje should indeed resign as Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan. So Raje's party is hoping she'll save them the bother, and step down on her own. Assigned to coax her into this decision: Party leader Sushma Swaraj.
The BJP first told Raje to step down in August. Raje then asked for a formal review of that decision. On Thursday, the BJP Parliamentary Board did not oblige her.
Raje was asked to take responsibility for the party's disastrous performance in Rajasthan's assembly elections in December, followed by an embarrassing defeat in May's general elections. Raje pointed out that no central party leader was being penalized for the BJP's poor countrywide showing in the Lok Sabha elections. Her loyalists rebelled in Rajasthan, and soon, the BJP started finding excuses to delay her sacking.
Party sources say Raje has promised in the past that if she steps down, she will be given a senior position within the party. Despite that meeting, a resignation did not follow. The party then did not press the issue. On record, BJP leaders said they were pre-occupied with the floods in South India, and with the Maharashtra elections, and that Vasundhara would have to wait. Privately, they admitted that Raje's standing as Scindia royalty meant that they didn't want to fire her while Maharashtra was voting for its next government. As a prominent Maratha clan, the Scindias have a huge voter base.
So will she stay or will she go? The BJP parliamentary board will meet again on the 22nd of this month. Till then, its original order stands.
The BJP first told Raje to step down in August. Raje then asked for a formal review of that decision. On Thursday, the BJP Parliamentary Board did not oblige her.
Raje was asked to take responsibility for the party's disastrous performance in Rajasthan's assembly elections in December, followed by an embarrassing defeat in May's general elections. Raje pointed out that no central party leader was being penalized for the BJP's poor countrywide showing in the Lok Sabha elections. Her loyalists rebelled in Rajasthan, and soon, the BJP started finding excuses to delay her sacking.
Party sources say Raje has promised in the past that if she steps down, she will be given a senior position within the party. Despite that meeting, a resignation did not follow. The party then did not press the issue. On record, BJP leaders said they were pre-occupied with the floods in South India, and with the Maharashtra elections, and that Vasundhara would have to wait. Privately, they admitted that Raje's standing as Scindia royalty meant that they didn't want to fire her while Maharashtra was voting for its next government. As a prominent Maratha clan, the Scindias have a huge voter base.
So will she stay or will she go? The BJP parliamentary board will meet again on the 22nd of this month. Till then, its original order stands.
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