43 Raje-loyalist MLAs offer to quit, BJP plays down crisis
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As the feud in Rajasthan BJP intensified, over 43 MLAs loyal to sulking leader Vasundhara Raje on Sunday offered to resign, but the party played down the crisis and her threat to quit the organisation.
A day after Raje threatened to leave the BJP over state leader Gulabchand Kataria's proposed political campaign, her aide claimed that 43 MLAs, including 2 independents, submitted their resignation to Raje expressing confidence in her leadership, with some even demanding that she be declared the chief ministerial candidate for assembly polls due next year.
BJP has a strength of 79 in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly.
At the meeting of core committee on Saturday, Raje, who is Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly, had objected to Kataria's plan to take out ‘Lok Jagran Yatra’ which was seen by a section in BJP as a move to project himself as the party's chief ministerial face.
Following this, Kataria had cancelled his programme. But the BJP on Sunday denied that there was a rift in the state unit and asserted that there was ‘no question of Raje quitting’.
"You can't call difference of opinion as a rift. In a democratic party, people do have different perceptions on a given situation. Vasundhara ji is a very respected and senior leader of the party and there is nothing like a rift," party leader Balbir Punj said.
"BJP is one and it will unitedly face the Congress in Rajasthan. There is no question of Vasundharaji quitting," he said.
Raje, who on Saturday said that she would resign from the party's membership if Kataria did not withdraw his decision to take out the yatra, on Sunday said the issue was an ‘internal matter’.
"It is our party's internal matter and we will resolve it," Raje told reporters.
Along with the legislators, office bearers and members of the BJP Yuva Morcha also handed over their resignation, Raje's aide said.
The lawmakers are now demanding that Raje be declared as ‘undisputed’ chief ministerial candidate for next assembly polls, he said.
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