Even as Congress has shifted its political activity to top gear to sail through the crisis in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is keeping its operations under the veil of secrecy because it does not want to be seen as being involved in any action aimed at toppling the Ashok Gehlot government in the state.
With this strategy in mind, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is said to have met national BJP president J.P. Nadda in a hush-hush manner. Both the leaders are understood to have discussed the Rajasthan crisis. The meeting took place a week ahead of the Assembly session. No official confirmation of this meeting has come yet but sources informed that Raje apprised Nadda of her displeasure with the functioning of the state BJP unit. According to sources, Raje assured him that she was not leaving the party.
Sources have revealed that the ex-Chief Minister of Rajasthan told Nadda that she was with the party in all its decisions. The former CM is said to be reluctant to approve any move leading to dislodging the Rajasthan government. She is also said to be unhappy with the state as well as central leader ship. However, all eyes are on the High Court verdict which will be delivered on 11 August.
During her meeting Raje also gave a book to Nadda however her Delhi visit amid Rajasthan crisis has fuelled speculations. The way she was maintaining a stoic silence led to perception in the political circles that something was cooking somewhere. Earlier, there was a suspense over the meeting. It so happened that reports started pouring in since morning that Vasundhara Raje is meeting Nadda. Raje has been in Delhi for the past three days and speculation was that she may meet the BJP leadership in the national capital over the Rajasthan political crisis. As soon as the news about her meeting with Nadda broke, media persons gathered in a large number near her government residence. But what was surprising was thatnone of them saw Raje coming out of or entering her residence. When contacted, the office of Nadda also refused to give any information.
Raje who is said to be upset with her own party has reasons to be unhappy as well because she was not taken into confidence when the state executive was formed. Moreover, in the entire Rajasthan episode the leaders like Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Hanuman Beniwal are considered to be from anti-Raje camp. Another of her adversaries Diya Kumari is being promoted in the state. All this exercise gave the impression that Raje is being sidelined in the state BJP. But she believes, and rightly so, that the BJP cannot do anything in Rajasthan without taking her on board. The high command cannot ignore how Raje did not show hitch to be on the collision course with the top leadership over the post of state BJP chief in 2017. This had happened ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. Then Amit Shah was the national BJP chief. The situation is the same again the same as Raje is well known to do politics on her own condition.
In the meantime, the Congress has started formulating its strategy. Hectic parlaying has begun. AICC general secretary and RS member from Rajasthan KC Venugopal reached Jaisalmer and had a meeting with MLAs. Half a dozen leaders from Delhi are already camping in Rajasthan. Ashok Gehlot has expedited the government work with an objective of giving a message that the government is not neglecting public work due to this crisis. He is briefing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on every single development on a regular basis. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is said to be in touch with Rajasthan CM and other leaders. Congress secretary in charge of Rajasthan, Vivek Bansal said that the Gehlot government is stable and will complete its full term. He said BJP would not succeed in toppling the government.