- Vasundhara Raje's political appeal is intact in grassroot level in Rajasthan
- Her caste and royal appeal are seen as key assets for BJP in the 2028 election
- BJP secured 115 seats in Rajasthan in 2023, down from 120 in 2003 when Raje first led the party in the polls
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.
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".
Vasundhara Raje Factor
In the 2023 elections, the BJP managed a respectable 115 seats in Rajasthan, falling short of the 120 it got when Vasundhara Raje stepped into the electoral fray and led the party 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 163 seats.
After the 2023 elections, the party decided to go with an entirely new rung of leadership in Rajasthan.
Raje campaigned for the party but not across the length and the breadth of the state. 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.
For the Lok Sabha election 2024, Raje campaigned only in one constituency -- Jhalawar Baran held by her son Dushyant Singh.
That election, the BJP lost 11 seats in Rajasthan - a far cry from the bulls eye it won earlier - bagging 25 of the 25 parliamentary seats.
The results made it clear that the new dispensation in Rajasthan had not entirely clicked with the electorate.
BJP Tweaks Course
As the BJP government in Rajasthan hits half time, the signal is clear -- retaining Raje makes political sense.
In 2028, when the BJP goes into the next state election and there is a focus on women leaders, Raje will win hands down. She not only appeals to women voters but has mass appeal, as well as the mystique of royalty that works in a state with deep seated feudal roots.
Her Jat Maratha Rajput heritage and her marital alliance with the Gujjars -- her daughter-in-law Niharika Raje comes from the politically dominant community -- gives her a recipe that is infallible in the caste cauldron of Rajasthan.
Raje has made this her political USP, often saying, "I appeal to 36 communities of Rajasthan".
When the 2028 elections approach, the BJP will be going in with an incumbency factor to contend. Under the circumstances, retaining a leader who has this kind of a arithmetic on her side is not only politically expedient but also prudent.
By giving her 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.
