Rajasthan: Bhajanlal’s elevation, Raje’s eclipse and a triumph for RSS

Rajasthan's new Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

The surprise elevation of debutant MLA Bhajanlal Sharma as Chief Minister of Rajasthan is a moment to savour for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India’s largest state. The 57-year-old Sharma is the first leader to ascend to the top job in the desert state with deep, overt ties to the RSS as his chief claim to fame. Given the Sangh’s prolonged feud with former CM Vasundhara Raje, many see the success of Sharma, an archetypical Sangh man, as a definitive RSS triumph.

In taking oath as Rajasthan’s 15th Chief Minister, Bhajanlal represents a shift to a stronger Hindutva imprint and a greater RSS influence in Rajasthan's corridors of power. A low-key ‘Sangathan man’, Sharma is described in terms usually favoured by RSS biggies. A biographical sketch titled Jeevan Parichay (Life Introduction) being circulated in Jaipur lists Sharma’s major achievements. It recounts his political journey from student days in the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) to his initial forays in politics as a Sarpanch in Bharatpur, his home district. His four terms as BJP’s state general secretary is listed as the acme of his political career till his sudden elevation. It is a note which reinforces Sharma’s image as a disciplined Sangh Parivar member who has risen through the ranks but never even aspired to reach the CM’s chair.

Besides a shift to a new generation, Sharma's appointment resonates with the RSS vision. A dedicated Sangh worker for over three decades, Sharma embodies the organisation's core values of Hindu nationalism, social conservatism, and cultural revival. His RSS association signifies a deliberate shift towards a leadership infused with the Sangh's core ideology and the Hindutva agenda which the BJP now seems eager to push in Rajasthan.

Raje Vs RSS

Sharma’s elevation also marks a decisive eclipse of former CM Vasundhara Raje who had a running battle with the RSS over the past two decades. After becoming Rajasthan’s first woman CM, Raje maintained a degree of autonomy from the RSS, carved her own path, and built a formidable network of loyal supporters. This independent streak clashed with the RSS's desire for greater control and adherence to its core ideology and Sangh stalwarts saw Raje's dominance as a challenge to their agenda.

Read: Bhajanlal Sharma in Rajasthan joins BJP's new club of CMs in their 50s

The Raje-RSS rift was at the root of BJP infighting in Rajasthan for over twenty years. It saw numerous episodes as in 2012 when a proposed Yatra by RSS-strongman Gulab Chand Kataria was cancelled after Raje threatened to quit the party. Similarly, the post of BJP’s organisational secretary, occupied by an RSS leader, was kept vacant for many years due to Raje’s clout. Given the bitterness, there was a big buzz in the 2018 elections that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had agreed to back the BJP only on condition that if the BJP wins, Raje would be replaced as CM.

After defeat in the 2018 polls, Raje was sidelined by the RSS-BJP bosses combo. To create a gen-next leadership in Rajasthan, several Raje foes from the RSS stable were brought to the fore like Satish Poonia, a first-time MLA who was made state BJP chief, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, a protégé of Home Minister Amit Shah. Even Om Birla’s elevation as Lok Sabha Speaker was a rebuff to Raje in her escalating rift with RSS loyalists. Raje’s frosty relations with the BJP high command (read Modi-Shah duo) also strengthened the RSS hand. Bhajanlal’s rise now seems a final rebuke to Raje that fuels a perception of the growing RSS clout.

RSS Dominates

Appointing two deputy chief ministers also aims at moving into a post-Raje era. While 52-year-old Diya Kumari is from Jaipur’s former royal family, 54-year-old Prem Chand Bairwa is a new Dalit face the BJP has promoted. Diya’s rise is an attempt to locate a more pliable alternative to Vasundhara and encash her royal lineage to fill the vacuum created by Raje’s sidelining. Like Sharma, the other deputy CM Bairwa is an organisation man with deep RSS roots. His appointment seeks to balance a Brahmin CM and a Rajput deputy CM in BJP’s bid to get its caste arithmetic right. Though it dominates in Upper Caste votes, the BJP got only 33% of the Dalit vote according to the Lokniti-CSDS post-poll survey.

Finally, the appointment of Vasudev Devnani as Speaker of the state assembly further signals the tightening RSS hold on Rajasthan BJP. The RSS-backed Devnani was the minister for education in the earlier Raje government who vigorously promoted a saffronised curriculum. Besides claiming that Rana Pratap and not Akbar had won the Battle of Haldighati, Devnani brought in numerous changes in school syllabus to include RSS favourites like Veer Savarkar, Deendayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

In a nutshell, selecting a first-time MLA like Bhajanlal may be based on several calculations ranging from moving to a younger generation, to energising party cadres and projecting a fresh BJP image for voters. But with top members of the new team chosen from the Sangh stable, many see the current moment as a takeover of the RSS lobby in Rajasthan. With Raje eclipsed and RSS dominant, balancing the Sangh's demands with the BJP's political priorities and the concerns of Rajasthan's diverse electorate could be Bhajanlal’s toughest challenge.

Rajan Mahan is a senior journalist who headed NDTV and Star News in Rajasthan. He was also a Professor of Journalism at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.