The faction-ridden BJP’s core committee met on Saturday in Jaipur in the absence of Leader of the Opposition Vasundhara Raje and resolved to oppose the Congress government’s move to support FDI in retail sector. It was third such meeting when Ms Raje was conspicuous by her absence. She is currently out of the country.
The ruling Congress also took a jibe at Ms Raje, saying it was easy to issue mere statements from London.
According to party sources, barring Ms Raje, most of the party leaders were present in the meeting, including former home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, state party chief Arun Chaturvedi and Raje camp follower and former minister Rajendra Singh Rathore. Last time, Ms Raje had participated in the core committee meeting in the first week of May when she threatened to resign from the party over Mr Kataria’s proposed rath yatra.
Since May, the core committee, the powerful decision-making body of the party, has met thrice, but Ms Raje has not been able to participate in the meeting. “She is out of India for the last two months,” said a BJP leader.
Sources said Ms Raje is supposed to be back soon and be active again. Her supporters have been campaigning that she should be given a free hand to run the party in the state in view of the 2013 Assembly elections.
In her absence, Mr Chaturvedi and Mr Kataria have emerged as leaders with tacit support from the Sangh Parivar. Mr Kataria called off his 28-day Lok Jagran Yatra when Ms Raje protested against it. But Mr Kataria became more active and travelled across the state.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot reacted sharply to Ms Raje when the BJP lashed out at his government for the poor handling of flood relief in Rajasthan. “The BJP has no moral right to speak on this,” said Mr Gehlot.
, talking to mediapersons on Saturday in Jaipur. “Neta pratipaksh do maah se London me hai, poore char saal nikal diya ye to London mein ya Dehra Dun ya Delhi meein rahe (She is in London for the last two months. She was mainly out of station for the last four years, sometime in London or Dehra Dun or Delhi),” he said. “We expect her presence here to find fault in government policies and function as Opposition leader, but she is not here,” said Mr Gehlot.