Date:27/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/27/stories/2007102759110700.htm

National

Raje detractors skip party meet

Special Correspondent

Half a dozen Ministers among them

State executive meeting called to discuss polls
The dissidents are seeking Chief Minister’s removal

JAIPUR: In an act of open defiance, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders opposed to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan kept away from the meeting of the party’s State executive committee, convened to discuss the party’s strategies for the next Assembly elections, at Mandaphia (Sanwaliaji) in Chittorgarh district on Friday.

Those who boycotted the conclave included half a dozen Cabinet Ministers as well as former party presidents Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi and Raghuveer Kaushal.

Besides Ms. Raje and State party unit president Mahesh Sharma, BJP national general secretary Om Prakash Mathur and the party leader in-charge of Rajasthan Gopinath Munde were present on the opening day.

It is not yet clear whether the dissidents would abstain from Saturday’s sessions as well, to be addressed by the party’s senior leader L. K. Advani, but the first day found Home Minister G. C. Kataria and senior Ministers Ghanshyam Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi, Kanakmal Katara, Madan Dilwar and Vasudev Devnani playing truant.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Harishanker Bhabra, though none too happy with the present dispensation, showed up in the temple town to attend the meeting.

The list of absentees included the chief whip of the ruling party, Mahavir Prasad Jain, two vice-presidents of the State unit, Arun Chaturvedi and Rajendra Gehlot, and as many as 20 of the 38 district presidents.

The dissidents had earlier said here that they had no business at the meeting and they would explain their position to the party leadership. The Raje detractors are asking for her removal and, even prior to that, removal of the party chief, Dr. Sharma.

The BJP leadership, however, tried to make light of the developments. Mr. Munde termed the absence of so many senior leaders as a coincidence. “They are not here due to various reasons,” he tried to explain, talking to journalists in Mandaphia in the afternoon.

“There is no discontent in the party. The reports of differences between a group of party leaders and the Government are baseless,” he asserted.

Mr. Munde ruled out any disciplinary action against those who are not attending the meeting. “That is not an act of indiscipline,” he observed.