A decade is a long time in politics. This is reflected in the crowning of Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Bharatiya Janata Party바카라s (BJP) Chief Minister-designate in Rajasthan.
Exactly around 10 years ago on December 13, 2013, Vasundhara Raje 바카라who proposed the name of Sharma as the Leader of the BJP Legislature Party this time바카라 took oath for the second time as the CM of Rajasthan. She looked invincible after leading the party to the best victory by winning 163 of the 200 seats in the state assembly. The swearing-in ceremony took place right in front of the state assembly where top party leaders, including the then-prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, were witnesses to the grand event.
Now, 10 years later, on the eve of 10th anniversary of that grand ceremony, Raje had to pass the baton to the soon-to-be CM of Rajasthan Sharma 바카라 even as she was hoping for a third chief ministerial tenure. Sharma is the pick of Modi and the BJP바카라s central leadership, which in recent times has done away with established regional satraps like Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh and Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh in favour of a generational change in leadership.
What바카라s Road Ahead For Vasundhara Raje?
Raje, 70, has an uncertain road ahead of her. The BJP바카라s central leadership has not disclosed the plan for her and other leaders from the old guard 바카라Shivraj and Raman Singh바카라 who have been passed for the chief ministership. The party insiders, however, say the three could be accommodated within the party organisation or the central government.
Raje바카라s loyalist MLAs, including former ministers, were repeatedly demanding that Raje be made the chief ministerial face before the polls. This did not happen.
바카라Raje is a two-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan and was the most deserving of the top post but the central leadership바카라s word is the last. She will continue to work for the party but, at the same time, she will not be taking any major responsibilities in the state. She may be given a role in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, which are exactly four months away,바카라 said a source close to Raje.
Three days after the BJP announced Sharma as the next CM of Rajasthan, Raje wrote 바카라samman aur sneh (respect and affection)바카라 and quoted 바카라one will get more in return than the amount one would sow바카라 in a post X (formerly Twitter). She is seen with several women draped in colourful sarees in the post.
Did Raje Miss Writing On The Wall Of Her Sidelining?
Raje being sidelined by the party바카라s central leadership was evident at several events where she was sidelined in the presence of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Shah. Moreover, her rivalry with former BJP Satish Poonia also came in public, with the close aides of both leaders targeting each other.
This became further clear when most of her loyalists 바카라including former cabinet ministers Ashok Parnami, Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, and Yoonus Khan바카라 were denied tickets in the assembly polls. While Yoonus won as an Independent candidate from Deedwana with around 2,392 votes, Shekhawat and Parnami did not contest. Her other aide and BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat바카라s son-in-law Narpat Singh Rajavi was also denied the ticket from Vidhyadhar Nagar from where he was a sitting MLA. Rajavi was given a ticket from Chittorgarh from where he lost to Chandrabhan Akkaya, BJP's rebel and an Independent candidate.
Diya Kumari, who has been named as Deputy Chief Minister, won from the Vidyadhar Nagar constituency against Congress candidate Sitaram Agarwal with a margin of 71,368 votes. She is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last Maharaja of Jaipur. She pitched herself as the 바카라daughter of Jaipur바카라 and the 바카라princess who walks on the streets바카라. Kumari바카라s rise in the BJP is also seen as an attempt to project as an alternative to Raje with both having a royal lineage 바카라 Raje belongs to the Scindia family of Gwalior and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is her nephew.
바카라Right from the selection of the candidates for the assembly polls to the announcement of the names, Raje was not kept in confidence. This also signifies that the central leadership doesn바카라t want her to do much in the state,바카라 says a senior BJP leader to Outlook.
Vasundhara Raje바카라s storied career
Vasundhara Raje was the first 바카라and the only바카라 woman to serve as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
In 2003, Raje became the first woman to be the CM of Rajasthan. Earlier, she was part of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee ministry.
Currently, Raje serves as the National Vice President of the BJP. A member of Gwalior바카라s ruling Scindia family, she is also the matriarch of the Bamraulia family of Dholpur.
Before her innings in Rajasthan, Raje served as India바카라s first Minister of Small Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries 바카라now known as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)바카라 in the Vajpayee ministry.
In 2023, however, the BJP picked first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma over Raje to lead the state. He will take oath as the CM of Rajasthan later on Friday. He won the Sanganer assembly seat by defeating Congress candidate Pushpendra Bhardwaj by 48,081 votes.
