The BJP parliamentary board today asked Vasundhara Raje, BJP legislative party leader in Rajasthan, to make way for another leader in the state, but didn’t specify any time limit for her to resign. BJP president Rajnath Singh, who addressed the press, said the “parliamentary board met to endorse the decision of the core group where a decision on a change of guard in Rajasthan was taken”.

In the party core group meeting, it was decided, however, that the timing of the move would be discussed among the party brass, and that a couple of observers would be sent to the state before Vasundhara is finally told to quit. Four members of the 11-member apex group were not present in that core group meeting. It was also decided that Vasundhara would get a key organisational responsibility in the central BJP.

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.

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