Speculation is rife here about organisational changes in the ruling BJP and reshuffle in the State Cabinet after marathon meetings of the party's in charge for Rajasthan V. Satish with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and senior leaders during the last two days.
There is already a disquiet in the ruling camp following the charge of Congress leaders that the State government wants to go for early Assembly elections to capitalise on the Army's surgical strikes across the Line of Control. The Assembly polls in the State are scheduled for December 2018.
Though the BJP has not unequivocally ruled out the possibility of early elections, the impending Cabinet reshuffle, likely to be carried out just after Diwali, may further add to dissension within the party. The ruling party is facing challenges on the fronts of Ms. Raje's waning popularity, lack of dialogue with the public, cow deaths in Hingonia gaushala and strained relations with the RSS.
Even though Ms. Raje may find it tough to induct new Ministers, portfolios of more than half of the present Ministers are expected to be changed and a couple of them may be dropped.
The BJP's central leadership has reportedly advised the State unit to consult the RSS before carrying out major changes in the government and involve the Sangh ideologues in its decision making process. This was conveyed at a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah in New Delhi earlier this month.
While some of the prominent BJP leaders have been openly criticising the State government for some time now, senior party MLA and former Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari has made the matters worse.
Mr. Tiwari has launched a new front, Deen Dayal Vahini, which has found support from among the BJP MLAs and party workers upset with the government's functioning.
In the meetings of Mr. Satish with State BJP president Ashok Parnami, the process for disciplinary action against the leaders frequently making anti-party statements was reportedly discussed. The scope for appointment of a working committee of the ruling party was also discussed at length.
Mr. Parnami, conscious of the attacks on the BJP over a number of issues, has reacted sharply to the remarks of Congress leaders, including Gurudas Kamat and Sachin Pilot, about early elections. He said it was Congress which had indulged in politics over surgical strikes.
Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria was also a part of the lengthy meetings held at the BJP State headquarters and Ms. Raje's official residence here. Mr. Kataria himself has been facing heat for the deteriorating law and order situation in the State and the failure of police to nab dreaded criminal Anand Pal Singh, who absconded more than a year ago.
