Following the Rajasthan elections last year, the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sidelined several prominent leaders, including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, appointing Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister. Speculation arose that this decision wouldn't sit well with Raje. Nearly a year later, Vasundhara Raje Scindia has made a comment that has reignited rumors of unrest within the BJP leadership in Rajasthan. On Tuesday, senior BJP leader and Governor of Sikkim Om Prakash Mathur arrived in Jaipur during his tour of his home state.
In his honor, the Rajasthan BJP unit organized a grand felicitation ceremony. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, Premchand Berwa, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathod were among many prominent leaders present. During her address, Vasundhara Raje Scindia said, 'No matter how high Om Mathur reaches, his feet always stay grounded. That's why he has countless admirers. On the other hand, some people think they're jewelers just because they found a brass clove.'
As soon as Raje made this comment, people began speculating about her target. Some believed her remark was a jibe at Bhajan Lal Sharma, stemming from her discontent since his appointment as Chief Minister. Others thought she was referring to current BJP state president Madan Rathod. Recently, Rathod made an odd comment about Raje while praising her, saying, 'When she came to Delhi, I saw her myself... she looked quite strange and weak.'
Though these are just speculations, it appears Vasundhara Raje is trying to signal to the party leadership that she still holds her ground and reputation in state politics. During the event, Raje said, 'PM’s close associate Mathur is tough on the surface but soft inside. He made the impossible possible by blooming the lotus in Chhattisgarh. No matter what the opposition says, a Governor is not a rubber stamp. A horse will run as well as its rider. Om Mathur is an adept rider who knows how to handle the reins and the whip.'
