With Raje running out of luck, Jaipur royal Diya Kumari's star is rising

Jaipur, October 12: If sources in Rajasthan BJP are to be believed, Rajsamand MP and Jaipur princess Diya Kumari are getting quick promotions and are the upcoming CM faces in the state.

Recently, she was given a dais to manage the stage and speak in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was in Jaipur. Diya also led the women's delegation that walked ahead of PM’s convoy thanking him for passing the Nari Vandan Bill.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was also present in the programme. However, she did not get the same attention as that of Diya which triggered speculations that the party has plans and projections to elevate Diya and replace Raje for both of them come from erstwhile royal families which have a strong connection with people of the state.

Recently, the BJP nominated Diya Kumari, as its candidate from Jaipur's Vidhyadhar Nagar seat. The decision to replace Narpat Singh Rajvi, a senior leader and five-time MLA who won the seat even in the 2018 elections, ignited a political storm as Rajvi is son-in-law of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Vice President and a strong CM of Rajasthan.

Rajvi was quick to react, he termed the decision as “an insult to the legacy of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.” Recalling how Shekhawat had nurtured the party for decades. Rajvi questioned with what face will BJP celebrate Shekhawat’s birth centenary due to begin on October 23, when his own family is being treated so shabbily.

Questioning Diya’s credentials, Rajvi said: “Why is the party blessing a family that connived with Mughals and even fought against Rana Pratap, the iconic hero of Rajasthan.” The reference is clearly to one of the most embarrassing chapters in the history of Jaipur royals who had Maharaja Man Singh lead the Mughal forces against Rana Pratap in battle.

Meanwhile BJP insiders say that the decision to dump Rajvi and ensure a safe seat for Diya is because the party’s leadership is envisaging a bigger role for her and aiming at encashing her royal lineage to fill the vacuum created by sidelining Raje.

However, Raje, on the other hand, is equally silent even at a time when the tickets of her loyalists are being cut.

The saffron party has not given ticket to Rajpal Singh Shekahwat who was a Minister in her Cabinet. Similarly, tickets of former MLAs Anita Singh from Nagar seat in Bharatpur and Vikas Chaudhary from Ajmer another of her loyalists were also cut.

Eventually, the protests are growing in the state against ticket distribution. However, surprisingly, Raje is quiet and is not issuing any statement in favour of or against ticket distribution.

Further, she also attended the core committee meeting held on Friday night and expressed many suggestions to party leaders which included giving attention to party workers during ticket distribution.

Party sources said that this silence of Raje can become the pillar of strength for the party for her significance has already been proved during parivartan yatras which failed to garner huge crowds in her absence. She has been asked to attend all events for the party as it knows that her absence can be a killer step for the party.

Meanwhile, senior party workers also termed her as a disciplined soldier who kept quiet when her posters were removed from party office, when she was sidelined from events on stage and when her role was limited during the visit of senior leaders to the state.

Even now, when her followers' tickets are cut, she is silent, questioned senior leaders.

Meanwhile, political experts said that Rajasthan is a feudal state. Here, the baton is passed from one leader to another. Earlier, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat passed the baton to her and now the next leader will be accepted in state once she passes the baton to the next leader.

Amid such speculations, all eyes are set to see who will emerge victorious -- Diya or Vasundhara.

Questions are being raised as to who will take BJP on a winning streak at the last moment for the party has a tough fight with Congress, which has already launched many social welfare schemes for the public.