Vasundhara Raje faces task of wooing back Rajputs in Rajasthan

As Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje starts her poll yatra from August 4, she has her task cut out to woo back BJP’s once loyalist vote bank - Rajputs. The community, which comprises 7 per cent of state’s population, has withered away from the party’s fold following a spate of unsavoury standoffs in recent times.
The recent controversy related to Raje’s opposition to the appointment of union agriculture minister for state Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, an influential Rajput leader from Jodhpur as the state BJP chief, has just complicated the equation more.

The community was already annoyed by BJP over the alleged fake encounter of gangster Anand Pal Singh, a local Rajput hero and the screening of movie Padmavat across the country despite strong resentment among Rajputs. The relation turned even bitter Raje government sealed Raj Mahal Palace, a hotel owned by the Jaipur royalty.

Diya Kumari, member of royal family, who is also a legislator from BJP opened a front against her own government forcing Raje to unseal the Palace. But Rajputs, who backed the royal family, took it as an attack on the entire community. A number of social organisations have pledged support to Congress sending warning signals to the incumbent BJP.

Rajput Sabha president Giriraj Lotwara said that the community will oppose BJP in the coming elections while Rajput Arkashan Manch among other social organisations has announced to oppose Raje’s poll yatra demanding quota in jobs and education as promised by BJP in its previous rule.

The ruling party has seen the wrath of Rajput’s anger in by-elections earlier this year when BJP lost all the three polls to Congress conceding a big margin. With her equation with the Centre and RSS under scrutiny, Raje doesn’t seem to take any chance in the coming elections.