Zeenews Bureau
Delhi/Jaipur: The BJP Parliamentary board, which is in meeting at the veteran leader LK Advani’s residence on Sunday has reportedly put its collective weight behind party president Rajnath Singh’s decision that she should quit as the leader of opposition in Rajasthan’s Assembly.
Rajnath Singh has earlier expressed his confidence that Vasundhara Raje would follow the party decision and step down as the state party head, following her statement that she would abide by the party’s Parliamentary board decision.
Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday evening, Rajnath Singh welcomed Vasundhara Raje’s conciliatory statement and said that she would obey him.
"BJP Parliamentary Board is confident that the message conveyed by me to her (to step down) will be followed by her," Singh said.
The BJP chief, however, said that there was no deadline for her to step down as Rajasthan BJP chief.
He confirmed for the first time on record that it was conveyed to her that the former chief minister should step down as Leader of the Opposition.
He said this decision was taken by the Core Group of the party.
"No time-frame has been set (for her stepping down) so I cannot say that party`s authority has been undermined," he said in reply to a question on whether a deadline has been set and her refusal undermined the party`s authority.
Earlier in an apparent climbdown, Vasundhara Raje, who had defied the BJP high command diktat to quit as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, on Sunday decided to accept the verdict of the party parliamentary board which is likely to meet in New Delhi, a key aide said.
Raje took the decision at a closed-door meeting with six MLAs, Alwar legislator Gyan Deo Ahuja, who was also present, told reporters outside her residence after the meeting.
"Whatever the BJP Parliamentary board decides, it will be acceptable to the BJP legislature party" led by her, he said. The board is likely to meet in New Delhi in the evening.
"So far, there has been no official communication seeking Raje`s resignation," he said, maintaining that all 60 MLAs, who had gone to Delhi to meet the party leadership, were with the former chief minister. "Their number may increase," Ahuja, who was flanked by Ganganagar MLA Radhey Shyam, claimed.
Raje told reporters on Saturday that she alone could not be blamed for BJP`s poor performance in assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.
"As far as the poll debacle of party is concerned, it was not only in Rajasthan but the setback was suffered all over the country, and the responsibility should be fixed from top to bottom in the leadership ladder," she had said.
Bureau Report
