Residents of state paying for discord in Congress, says Vasundhara Raje

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday regretted the state’s people were paying for the discord within the ruling Congress and that names of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were needlessly being dragged into the controversy over attempts to topple the state government.

In a statement shared on Twitter, Raje said the discord has coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed over 500 lives and locust attacks. She added crimes against women are at an all-time high and there are problems related to electricity across the state. “And I’m only naming a few of the problems being faced by our people,” she said. “There is no point trying to drag the BJP and the BJP leaders’ names through the mud,” she said. Raje said the interest of people must remain paramount. “Think of the people.”

Raje, a two-time chief minister, has remained at her residence in Dholpur and until Saturday maintained silence over the ongoing political turmoil that has led to much speculation.

Many like chief minister Ashok Gehlot have questioned whether the BJP was divided since Raje had not defended her party nor attended its meetings since the political crisis erupted.

BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal, who heads the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), on Thursday accused Raje of rallying Congress lawmakers in support of Gehlot as he faces rebellion from his former deputy, Sachin Pilot. He alleged Raje called Congress lawmakers and asked them to distance themselves from Pilot.

BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria rejected Beniwal’s allegation as baseless and said he was in touch with Raje and that she will be present in Jaipur when required.

Political analyst Narayan Bareth said Raje remains one of BJP’s most charismatic leaders in the state. She still sees herself in the running for the chief minister’s post and would not want Pilot to join the BJP and be a potential rival, said Bareth.