By IANS
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was Friday again at pains to deny any rift between party president Rajnath Singh and its prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani over the appointment of Rajasthan unit chief Om Prakash Mathur.
The party also denied that Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is opposed to Mathur’s appointment.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said Friday: “Om Prakash Mathur is the chairperson of the Rajasthan unit of the BJP and there is no problem in the party (over this decision).”
Asked whether Raje met Advani on Wednesday to express her displeasure, Prasad said, “A BJP chief minister can always meet a senior leader of the party.” Mahesh Sharma, who was replaced by Mathur, accompanied Raje to the meeting with Advani.
Prasad also denied reports that Sharma presided over a meeting of BJP workers after Mathur’s appointment.
“He (Mathur) is yet to take charge,” Prasad said. He denied this was defiance by Raje and Sharma of the party’s decision.
Raje was reportedly miffed at the replacement of Sharma with Mathur. However, her detractors in the party wanted Sharma to be removed and were lobbying for his ouster.
Raje reportedly argued that a Brahmin should replace Sharma but this was shot down. Mathur, who was BJP general secretary in charge of Gujarat in the recent elections, is said to be close to Rajnath Singh.
Rumours have been rife that Advani is not happy with the appointment.
Prasad, however, denied any differences between the two leaders. Party sources said Mathur’s appointment came as a surprise to Raje, who was holidaying when the appointment was made. She was not consulted on the issue.
BJP dissidents have been demanding Raje’s removal for over a year. Senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, Jaswant Singh, was emerging as a threat to Raje’s power but got embroiled in the opium controversy. In October 2007, he allegedly served opium to his guests at a private function and had to face a legal case. He has denied the charges.
Mathur is close to former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and this could strengthen the latter’s hold on Rajasthan’s BJP unit in the days to come.