New Delhi: The BJP may have wrested Rajasthan from the Congress and switched its old guard with the fresh face of first-time MLA Bhajanlal Sharma as chief minister, but its troubles in the state seem far from over.
Infighting between the old guard has not stopped in the state unit, with former leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, 68, alleging that party leaders worked for his defeat in Taranagar constituency in the assembly elections.
Seven-time MLA and Rajput leader Rathore seems to have specifically trained his guns — without taking names — on Churu MP and Jat leader Rahul Kaswan, said to be a loyalist of former CM Vasundhara Raje.
Rathore was the MLA from Churu assembly constituency but chose to fight the state polls from Taranagar, where he lost to Congress leader Narendra Budania, who is also from the Jat community.
Addressing party workers in Churu Monday, Rathore blamed “many Jaichands and Vibhishanas” (a reference to betrayers) for their role in his defeat.
“I lost the election and I accept the people’s decision, but in my defeat many Jaichands and Vibhishanas worked from behind (the scenes). Many worked chanting ‘Ram Ram’ but clutching a knife at their side. Now they are desperate to come near power, desperate to show their real face,” he alleged.
Soon after Rathore’s defeat, an audio clip purportedly of two of his supporters went viral on social media last week, in which they named Kaswan as sabotaging Rathore’s prospects.
In the audio, Rathore’s purported supporters allege that Kaswan asked party workers and voters to ensure the victory of their Jat community member Budania against Rajput candidate Rathore.
Rathore has since then indirectly targeted Kaswan in his speeches, and even Raje in a subtle way.
When it comes to Churu district, there is said to be an old rivalry between the Rathore and Kaswan families, while in Rajasthan, the Rajput and Jat communities are known to have a political rivalry.
Kaswan is second-time MP from Churu Lok Sabha seat and his family is believed to wield influence in Churu district. His father Ram Singh Kaswan was four-time MP from Churu, while his mother Kamla Kaswan served as MLA from Sadulpur constituency in Churu district. Rathore, on the other hand, hails from Churu district and has held Churu assembly seat six times.
Sources in the BJP told ThePrint that Rathore has also complained to the party high command about “internal sabotage” by state unit leaders.
“This election, Rahul Kaswan campaigned as MP in Taranagar constituency but in politics many things are said without speaking and it (his campaigning) worked against Rathore,” said a source.
The source added that Rathore too was “against fielding of Kaswan in the 2019 Lok Sabha election but the party high command chose to field him nonetheless”.
Speaking to ThePrint, Rathore blamed his own self for the loss and said caste politics worked against him. “I have never been defeated in an election in my entire political career. I feel hurt as my years of labour was defeated this time, but it was my fault as I was not able to send a message to the people of (Taranagar) constituency.”
On BJP leaders’ role in his defeat, Rathore said: “An MP is custodian of his constituency. Sometimes people (leaders) switch loyalties. I was not able to convince the people. This time, caste politics also worked against me. Now it is up to the party to decide on my role as I am a committed BJP worker.”
Speaking to ThePrint, Kaswan said he didn’t want to comment on “Rathore’s outburst”.
“He has the right to speak as he is a soldier of the party,” he added.
Also Read: Bid to humour Raje & win over Rajputs? ‘Message’ behind BJP’s induction of Rajasthan ex-CM’s aide Bhati
‘Several factors worked against Rathore’
A BJP functionary blamed several factors for Rathore’s loss.
“He himself changed his seat (from Churu to Taranagar) because of anti-incumbency. In Churu, he fielded his trusted Harlal Saharan in anticipation that he would transfer Jat votes to him (Rathore) while he himself would help transfer Rajput votes to Saharan,” the functionary told ThePrint.
“It made for solid arithmetic but the election turned into a Jat-versus-Rajput one and Saharan was not able to transfer Jat votes to Rathore,” he added.
The functionary pointed out that Rathore’s Rajput vote, however, did go to Saharan and he won from Churu but Rathore could not.
“Rajasthan Congress president Govind Dotasra, another Jat leader, had also made several comments about defeating Rathore and ensured a Rahul Gandhi rally in Taranagar constituency. PM Narendra Modi too campaigned for Rathore but he could not win,” the BJP functionary said.
Rathore’s ups and downs
Rathore started his political journey as a student leader when, at the age of 24, he was elected as Rajasthan University president in 1978-79.
He was subsequently groomed by former Rajasthan CM and veteran BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, as well as his close friend, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar.
Rathore contested his first Rajasthan election in 1980 on a Janata Dal ticket but lost. He was later victorious from Churu assembly seat in 1990, again a Janata Dal ticket, and joined the BJP subsequently.
Shekhawat made Rathore a minister in his government and he continued as minister in the Raje government. He remained a Raje loyalist for long, till relations between the two leaders soured.
He fought the 2008 state election from Taranagar, a Congress bastion, reportedly on Raje’s insistence and won, but after the BJP lost the 2018 assembly polls, Rathore switched loyalties, cosying up to the Delhi leadership of the BJP.
He was named earlier this year to the leader of opposition’s post, which was lying vacant after Gulab Chand Kataria was elevated to the post of Assam Governor.
According to BJP sources, Rathore and Raje fought over ticket distribution before the party’s central leadership in Delhi ahead of the Rajasthan polls.
He also took a dig at Raje after the results were announced on 3 December.
Before the BJP high command picked Sharma as CM, Raje had reportedly put up a show of strength with 50 MLAs in Jaipur to claim the top post.
At that time, sources said, Rathore had commented: “This is not the culture of the BJP. Here (in Rajasthan), votes were cast for PM Modi’s face. Anyone claiming votes were cast for them is not being truthful.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: Modi tells BJP MPs to be ‘ready for a fight’: ‘More we win, the harsher the Opposition’s attacks’