Jaipur: The BJP's dilemma over removing Vasundhara Raje as the Leader of Opposition cast its shadow over the Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday.
Vasundhara Raje's led a dharna at the Assembly as a show of her strength. The signal was clear -- Raje's hold over BJP MLAs remains intact.
Demanding the reinstatement of the three BJP MLAs, suspended from the Assembly, the former chief minister was vocal in slamming it as an attempt to scuttle democracy in the state. She, however, remained mum on her own resignation.
"I'm happy to tell what work we have done and our future plans. But otherwise I can only say I'm not bothered about any post. I only love the people here," Raje said.
While the BJP kept protesting, the Congress quickly passed five bills and ended the Assembly session. And Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot didn't miss the chance to take a dig over the rift within the BJP that he claims led to the party's boycott of Assembly proceedings.
"We never asked them to boycott this session. They are guilty conscious and the way they are fighting within their party, they don't seem to have any time to participate even in the Assembly," Gehlot said.
With the Assembly session over, Raje will now move to Delhi to meet senior BJP leaders to resolve the long-standing dispute over her political future.
This is likely to be Vasundhara Raje's last session as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. Her insistence to continue on the post had angered even her party president. But ironically she couldn't play any major role in precisely this session.