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If Modi-Shah choose to bring a Brahmin CM in Rajasthan, CP may be the first choice: Dr Chandra

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat24-Vision of New India and First India; CMD First India News, reflects on the recent appointment of Lok Sabha MP CP Joshi as BJP Rajasthan President. Chandra stresses that CP Joshi is saffron leadership’s ‘war horse’ and that Poonia’s change has occurred due to various factors including ‘tussle’ with some senior leaders. However, although Poonia is out, but his political future is still bright. Excerpts... (Part-1)

  • What is the meaning of ‘crowning’ of CP Joshi as BJP state chief in Rajasthan?
    Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: The first meaning of this move is that now Rajasthan will directly be under control of Delhi and all major decisions of Rajasthan BJP will be done from Delhi. This was started from the day when the meeting of Rajasthan core committee happened in Delhi and not in Jaipur. The second message of this move is that for a long time, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were in search for a renowned Brahmin face, a second generation young face who can lead the politics for the next 25-30 years and stay in active politics. Now their search has ended at CP Joshi and whenever a Brahmin Chief Minister is to be made, Joshi will be the first priority.
  • Did it really take three months to find a new face because three months back Satish Poonia’s tenure ended and he was given an extension of sorts?
    The time was spent because it was a major decision. 2023 is election year and there is immense groupism. All the groups have to be taken in confidence. Then the BJP was engaged in North-East and then in Gujarat and other issues. So it was due to the general busy schedule of the party high command which caused a minor delay and coupled with the time taken to create a general consensus and now a person who has consensus has been positioned.
  • What does Satish Poonia’s farewell mean for BJP?
    See it is not Satish Poonia’s farewell. It is not removal. He had a three year tenure, he completed it and stayed three months extra as party president in Rajasthan. In a way, he lived more than his allotted life as BJP chief. So this is not farewell, rather it is shifting of responsibility which happens in every party. But still, there are questions being raised as to why was he shifted and why wasnt he given an extension. For that I say the first issue is Vasundhara Raje’s stubborness. Satish Poonia always checked Raje from coming to main stream and a few incidents happened where she had to face insult. Due to these incidents, Madam was adamant that Poonia should first be removed.
    What were these incidents? Once it so happened that senior BJP leader V. Satish was in Jaipur and to meet him, Raje reached BJP office. Satish Poonia’s car was parked under the porch in the office. When a two time chief minister comes, there are people around their vehicle and a huge crowd reaches to welcome them. While this was happening, Poonia’s driver vanished and even though a search was made for him, he could not be seen anywhere. So madam got down and walked towards the BJP office. This could be a coincidence too. But a few days after this incident, madam again went to the party office and this time the same thing happened with a minor twist. This time the driver was there but he claimed that he has lost the car keys! This is funny as well as foolish.
    How can it be that the driver would loose the key to the car? Madam again walked to the office. So the cumulative effect of such incidents was that madam, it is obvious, would have got hurt. She is a two time CM and may have been adamant that Poonia be removed. Second aspect is that almost all senior leaders of the party were displeased with Satish Poonia’s style of functioning. Poonia is a young and straightforward person, but everyone’s style of functioning is different, so people were not happy. Thirdly, nine by-elections happened in Poonia’s tenure, and the party lost in seven. There was no response of it. So you will have to take moral responsibility. Fourthly, the Jan Aakrosh yatra was carried out but you could not pick up any major issue against Ashok Gehlot government. When the high command sought report, you said seven and a half lakh people gave their applications.
    PM said that if so many people are against Gehlot that means the people are troubled and that BJP will win 150 seats. But it was not so as when the claims were checked, Poonia had to face embarassment. But perhaps the biggest issue of all was that, in a display of immaturity and excitement, he projected himself as CM candidate. The meetings in which he would go, workers would take him to the stage on their shoulders and slogans would be raised praising Poonia. But they should understand that there is only one lion in BJP, rather in the country and that is Narendra Modi and you are venturing in that domain unnecessarily. This was uncalled for. In fact, it was more of the immature workers that damaged him and the cumulative effect of all these was that his regular and routine departure got converted into a removal, in public perception.
  • You mentioned the incidents between Vasundhara Raje and Satish Poonia. Do you think that the developments of March 4, wherein Raje conducted her birthday celebrations at Salasar while Poonia held a protest in Jaipur, played any role in Poonia’s removal?
    That was an act of immaturity, nothing more, nothing less. Madam had already sounded off, a month in advance, all senior leaders of BJP including JP Nadda, Amit Shah and BL Santosh that on her birthday she carried out the devdarshan yatra and requested that it should not be taken otherwise.
    So everything was well, since all the seniors had been informed. It is not known whether Poonia knew about Raje’s plan or not, but he announced a rally against Gehlot government will be taken out by BJYM till state assembly. But that day the assembly was adjourned that day and some people said that Gehlot has extended a courtesy to Raje. They then protested at CMR, but the same day, when Raje was carrying out such a major program, you held the rally.
    It is said there were four or five thousand people in Poonia’s rally but there were at least ten times more people in Raje’s birthday program. So without any reason you gave a message in the party that there is a vertical divide between Vasundhara Raje and Satish Poonia, which is unfortunate. The situation was gauged by state incharge Arun Singh who reached to Ashok Parnami and even danced in the Phag Utsav and doused the standoff.
    But it was an uncalled for confrontation which ultimately became a loss for Poonia. So yes you are right that this was the ‘last nail in the coffin’ in this adverse relationship.
  • Has Satish Poonia, who has been objecting to madam throughout his tenure, became a scapegoat or did he got ‘hit-wicket’?
    Perhaps he may have got this mandate to bring down the supremacy of Raje in Rajasthan. It is true that the party was in the hands of one person — Raje. And it is but obvious that when the party gets into the decentralisation mood, it stresses that the power should not get concentrated in the hands of one person. So it is possible that the high command may have said to Poonia to run the affairs in such a democratic manner that the power does not remain constricted in the hands of one person. But the manner in which he implemented this mandate was defective. I wouldnt say he was a scapegoat or hit wicket but yes he had to face the consequences of his overt actions. As such he had to go since the three year tenure had been completed.
  • So now that Poonia is not there as party chief, who will head the Jat leadership in BJP? Secondly, you said that this is not his farewell, so what do you believe his political future will be like?
    As far as Jat leadership is concerned, it is established by the high command only, broadly speaking. However, it would not be wrong to say that as of now, the tallest leader is Satish Poonia. Next to him could be Rahul Kaswa or Kailash Choudhary. So in stature, they are not near Poonia. Then there is PP Choudhary, who has claimed that his ancestors were Rajputs, but then again his claim to the Jat leadership in BJP is not that sound. As such in BJP, no one has any leadership rather the leadership is in hands of two individuals i.e. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. But for self satisfaction one can say that in Jat quota, the leadership will be in Poonia’s hands. As far as his future is concerned, it will not be wrong to say that his future is bright. His rehabilitation will be done soon. It is being said that perhaps he may be made deputy leader of opposition under Rajendra Rathore as LoP. But there are apprehensions among senior Sangh leaders who say that Poonia has seniority as party president. How can he work under Rathore? He may also be given charge of some state or taken in Nadda’s team and if BJP comes to power in Rajasthan, he can be made a minister with an important portfolio.
  • Why did Rajendra Gehlot and Arun Chaturvedi fall behind in the race for party presidency in Rajasthan?
    Rajendra Gehlot is a favourite of Sangh and was close contestant in the race. But two factors went against him. Firstly, he is a leader from Jodhpur-Marwar and there are already two senior leaders from the region — Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ashwini Vaishnav. Then there is Om Mathur from Pali and Kailash Choudhary from Barmer. So he does not have a major role there. Secondly, he hails from the Mali community and that community has securely standing with Ashok Gehlot. Thirdly, when the leadership was mulling on the name of party president, Gehlot must have thought tat he should present his side to Amit Shah and by chance, Shah was in Rajasthan. When he was returning back, Gehlot asked him if he can accompany Shah back to Delhi in the charter flight. Shah did not say anything but Gehlot accompanied in the flight. However, in the flight, several books were placed on the set next to Shah and as soon as he sat, Shah went into a meditation. Rajendra Gehlot waited for Shah’s meditation to end, but it ended only after the plane had landed. So he did not get the opportunity to speak on the issue. So it is about luck also. Regarding Arun Chaturvedi, he too is a Brahmin but in front of CP, he is a weaker candidate in the race. Moreover, he has lost the election also. Although he is close to Dattatreya Hosabole of RSS. However, Chaturvedi has reportedly told some friend of his that madam did not support him at the end moment. May be that happened, you never know. I feel Rajendra Gehlot was a stronger candidature but he could not make it. TO BE CONTINUED…

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