Last Update: March 05, 2023, 14:43 IST
At Salasar Balaji Dham in Churu district, Raje addressed a large gathering after offering prayers at the Balaji temple to mark his 70th birthday celebrations (Image: Reuters file)
Due to the ongoing ‘cold war’ between Raje and Poonia, party workers were not able to understand which faction they should support
The ongoing power tussle within the BJP in Rajasthan once again came to the fore on Saturday with two factions within the party – one headed by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and the other by state BJP president Satish Poonia – with two major programmes. demonstrated strength.
At Salasar Balaji Dham in Churu district, Raje addressed a large gathering after offering prayers at the Balaji temple on the occasion of his 70th birthday celebrations, which is celebrated on March 8, but further ahead in view of Holi (March 8). was extended.
On the same day, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, organized a protest march against the burning issues of frequent paper leaks and rising unemployment in the state, which was led by Poonia.
Both the factions were busy in calling party workers in their respective programmes, due to which they got confused.
While Poonia’s supporters were calling on BJP workers to gherao the chief minister’s house in Jaipur, those in the Raje camp called on BJP workers to attend his birthday celebrations in Salasar.
Due to the ongoing ‘cold war’ between Raje and Poonia, the party workers were not able to understand which faction they should support.
A leader of Raje’s camp dismissed claims that she was showing her power with her birthday celebrations, saying the former chief minister did not go on a religious pilgrimage for the first time on Saturday.
On the other hand, a leader of the Poonia camp said that party workers from all over the state participated in the agitation in Jaipur on Saturday, so why should it be called a show of strength.
According to another supporter of Raje, she has been the national vice-president of the BJP besides being the chief minister twice, so many BJP workers came to congratulate her, which does not mean that she was showing power.
When all eyes were on which faction was stronger, a BJP MLA said that “the party’s top leadership should now work to eliminate this faction”.
“We need a united party. This show of strength will prove disastrous for the BJP in Rajasthan,” said the MLA, who did not wish to be named.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)