BJP tells Vasundhara to step down,but not when

In a unilateral move last week,Rajnath Singh called up Vasundhara and asked her to put in her papers. Rajnath supporters argued that “he was forced to call her after she didn’t show up in Delhi as was originally planned”.

After Vasundhara’s supporters put up a massive show of strength in Delhi last week — 57 of 78 BJP MLAs in Rajasthan,and all four BJP MPs from the state came to the party brass in her support — a “middle path” was worked out at the meeting today,keeping the clause on the timing of Vasundhara’s resignation open-ended. This move was meant as a face-saver for the warring groups,said sources.

“No time-frame has been set (for her stepping down),so I cannot say that party’s authority has been undermined,” said Rajnath Singh after the meeting.

The issue of mishandling of the Rajasthan crisis,however,did crop up in the truncated meeting of the 12-member board. Sources said while the “general view was towards a middle path to resolve the Rajasthan stalemate,at least one leader said that the situation in the state was not handled properly”. M Venkaiah Naidu,Ananth Kumar and Murli Manohar Joshi,besides Atal Bihari Vajpayee,were not present at the meeting.

“The statement issued by Vasundhara Raje today is very positive and we hope that she would respect the wishes of the party high command. BJP parliamentary board is confident that the message conveyed by me to her (to step down) will be followed by her,” Singh said at the press meet.

While Vasundhara could not be reached for comments,her trusted lieutenant Rajendra Rathore told The Indian Express: “The high command has made conciliatory statements. So we,too,have decided not to up the ante. Vasundhara Raje remains our leader,and we will decide our next course of action only tomorrow”.

After Vasundhara’s supporters failed to meet L K Advani after meeting Rajnath Singh in Delhi last week,attempts were made to split the BJP legislative party in the state. Rajasthan BJP chief Arun Chaturvedi called up party legislators “to fall in line or face disciplinary action”.

BJP national treasurer Ramdas Agarwal and former Rajasthan BJP chief Om Mathur,meanwhile,opened a channel of communication with Vasundhara. “Om Mathur met her in the last couple of days and Vasundhara told her that she would always abide by the party high command,” Agarwal said.

BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja said over 90 per cent of the party MLAs and MPs from Rajasthan still supported Vasundhara as leader of opposition. “We still believe this is a democratic party and if asked to elect a leader again,there is no doubt that it will be Vasundhara Raje,” Ahuja said.

Vasundhara today came out with an emotional statement invoking her late mother Vijayaraje,and saying how she had remained devoted to the party for more than twenty years now,that she could never ever think of splitting the party or forming another party — this came in for special mention at Rajnath Singh’s press conference. — With Apurva in Jaipur