Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a member of Parliament from Jodhpur, has denied Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala’s accusation of being caught on tape conspiring with rebel Congress legislators to bring down the Gehlot government.
From being at the frontline of the BJP’s offensive against the Ashok Gehlot government to being accused of playing a key role within the alleged conspiracy to dislodge the Congress dispensation, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has come to the fore because of the central figure in Rajasthan’s political space.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala blamed Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the member of Parliament from Jodhpur, during a media address on Friday of being caught on tape conspiring with rebel Congress legislators to bring down the Gehlot government.
Shekhawat, the Union water minister, has denied the charge and sought a search against, asserting that it had been not his voice on the tapes.
The 52-year-old’s presence because the key player within the political events uncover in Rajasthan is being read as a sign of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s high command’s decision to offer new leadership an opportunity to form its presence felt within the state.
Lending weight to the present perception is that the comparison being drawn between Shekhawat’s all-out offensive and therefore the telling silence of former chief minister and BJP heavyweight Vasundhara Raje.
The former chief minister has been conspicuous by her silence on the political controversy that has erupted within the state.
A BJP functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity said the method of cultivating a replacement and younger set of leaders has already been set in motion and Shekhawat’s “prominence” within the state’s politics is in line with the party’s decision to encourage younger leaders.
“There are leaders who have had several terms in positions of authority and it’s only natural that a more modern line of leaders is allowed to require the place going forward. But it doesn’t mean that the senior leaders are being dispensed with. Otherwise, a Shivraj Singh Chouhan wouldn’t are given a fourth term as CM,” the functionary cited above said.
Raje’s silence notwithstanding, her clout within the state has been crucial to the party’s fate at the hustings. it had been Raje’s support base that helped her have her way choose the party’s state unit president, whilst the central leadership had preferred Shekhawat.
However, there are questions whether the tape controversy put a dent within the minister’s graph that appeared to get on the incline.
A party colleague, who didn’t want to be named, said allegations and counter-allegations are a part of the political process and Shekhawat has created an area for himself within the state also as at the national level.
“He was picked to go a ministry that has some critical work cut out for it, considering how water for all may be a priority of the central government. he’s also well versed within the RSS ideology and with the guidance of the central leadership, we’ll overcome the challenges,” the second functionary said.
Rajasthan-based political commentator Narayan Bareth said the BJP leadership has been trying to infuse fresh blood within the state’s unit and Shekhawat fits the bill.
“He is a perfect candidate, he has roots within the RSS and is courteous to senior leadership and his caste also works in his favor,” Bareth said.
