In Nitin Nabin’s new team there is a clear signal — tread carefully when it comes to senior leaders who are still a force to reckon with in grassroots politics.
Vasundhara Raje’s retention as the “National Vice President” is the party’s way of maintaining a respectable status quo for a leader who, despite being on the sidelines of active politics in Rajasthan, still cannot be ignored because of the charisma and popularity she still commands.
By giving Vasundhara Raje a respectable position in the party, the BJP has signalled its deference to her political stature and sent out a signal that they acknowledge that she is still relevant in the state.
Earlier reporting noted: A big development is the return of former Union minister Smriti Irani to a core organisational role as one of the national general secretaries of the BJP A big development is the return of former Union minister Smriti Irani to a core organisational role as one of the national general secretaries of the BJP Earlier reporting noted: The BJP today announced its fresh team under its national chief Nitin Nabin ahead of elections in many states. Raje campaigned for the party but not across the length and the breadth of the state. There is a strong focus on regional representation with a mix of seasoned leaders and younger faces taking charge of key posts. Another key name that appeared is former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
In the 2023 elections, the BJP managed a respectable 115 seats in Rajasthan. But it was nowhere close to the thumping majority it got when Vasundhara Raje led the party to an absolute majority of 120 when she stepped into the electoral fray for the first time in 2003. In her next tenure, fuelled by the Modi wave and with her as the party’s face in Rajasthan, Raje led the party to 63 seats. After the 2023 elections, the party decided to go with an entirely new rung of leadership in Rajasthan. Her outreach was limited to 54 election rallies in 70 of the 200 constituencies. After the Bhajan Lal government took over in 2023, the message was clear: The party wanted fresh faces in Rajasthan.
In a post on X after her appointment, Raje said, “I express my gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and BJP National President Shri @NitinNabin Ji for providing me the opportunity to serve the organization and the nation as the National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party”.
Earlier reporting noted: A big development is the return of former Union minister Smriti Irani to a core organisational role as one of the national general secretaries of the BJP.
