As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates triumphant victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, anticipation grows for the announcement of the Chief Minister’s name in each state on December 10. The party’s high command has dispatched notable figures to oversee the process, with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Saroj Pandey, and Vinod Tawde entrusted with the responsibility in Rajasthan.
A Flashback to 2008 and the Unanswered Call
However, amid the present political buzz, a tale from 2008 resurfaces, echoing in the corridors of the state’s political circles. The protagonists of this story are the former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
Vasundhara Raje and Rajnath Singh’s Tussle
In 2008, as the impending assembly elections loomed over Rajasthan, the party high command sought a change in the state president. Rajnath Singh, then the national president of BJP, reached out to Vasundhara Raje with the proposal of appointing Omprakash Mathur as the party head in Rajasthan. Unbeknownst to Rajnath, Vasundhara was already privy to the decision to appoint Mathur. In an act of defiance, she chose not to answer Rajnath’s call, prompting him to announce Mathur’s appointment without her consent.
The fallout from this episode unfolded during the elections, with BJP securing 78 seats against Congress’s 96. Ashok Gehlot formed the government with independent support, and Vasundhara distanced herself from the defeat, placing blame on the party organization for the distribution of tickets.
Rajnath Singh, displeased with Vasundhara’s defiance and handling of the situation, faced further discontent in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The party secured only four out of 25 seats in Rajasthan, leading to allegations that Vasundhara had focused solely on her son’s Jhalawar seat and neglected other constituencies. In response to party instructions, state president OP Mathur and organization minister Prakash Chand resigned.
Under mounting pressure, Vasundhara, refusing to succumb to what she perceived as conspiracy and coercion, held her ground. When Rajnath remained unyielding, she unleashed her political trump card on Independence Day in 2009. On August 15, Vasundhara arrived at the BJP office on Ashok Road with the support of 57 MLAs, a move that reverberated as her strategic counterstroke within the party.
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK
%20celebrates%20triumphant%20victories%20in%20Rajasthan,%20Madhya%20Pradesh,%20and%20Chhattisgarh,%20anticipation%20grows%20for%20the%20announcement%20of%20the%20Chief%20Minister's%20name%20in%20each%20state%20on%20December%2010.){kind=link}