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[nahia]

JAIPUR: Vasundhara Raje is expected to meet central party leader Venkaiah Naidu on Monday amid indications that while the party high command is keen that she step down, the former CM was not be ‘dictated’ over the process.

Party sources in Delhi said Raje might well have been less isolated if she had not consistently rubbed the RSS the wrong way in her dealings. Perhaps now taking a cue from senior BJP leaders, Raje is also trying to meet the RSS brass. She reached Delhi on Sunday evening ahead of her meeting with Naidu.

Insiders said Raje was trying to clarify ‘confusion’ about her relationship with RSS representatives in the desert state. Raje’s possible meeting with RSS figures might be seen as an effort to set the record straight and clarify that she was not turning into a rebel.

It was learnt that the Raje camp was bolstered in the wake of the recent turmoil within the party. Wile she has been targeted by party chief Rajnath Singh’s faction, it may be difficult to roll back the decision to change her as leader of Opposition in Rajasthan.

Still, fate of Raje hangs in balance as she may have to put in her papers and settle for a post in the central leadership. Raje may now push to at least appoint one of her loyalists as her successor in Rajasthan given that Naidu is not keen to ram down any decision.

‘There was an understanding that Raje will resign after assembly session was over. She may have to resign now but of course her views will hold significance while nominating the next leader of Opposition in the state,’ said a BJP representative. He said the party may also ask for voting for the election of the next leader of Opposition.

The party’s central leadership had on August 28 called her to the Capital to meet Naidu after Raje had affirmed her loyalty to the BJP saying she was a ‘disciplined soldier’ of the party and its order was ‘supreme’ to her. However, she made it clear that she would continue to be actively involved in Rajasthan with or without any post.

The former CM, who claims to enjoy the support of a majority of the 78 legislators, had said she would like to go for talks as quickly as possible to sort out the problems. She had said her Delhi trip was delayed due to the assembly session and the crisis in the party following the suspension of senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh.

Raje’s son Dushyant (Jhalwar MP) and her loyalist MLAs, Rajendra Rathore and Digambar Singh, are accompanying her.