Jaipur: The increasing political and organisational activities of Gulab Chand Kataria in his hometown, Udaipur, have triggered intense political speculation within Rajasthan BJP circles, with many viewing his growing outreach as a sign of his continuing influence over the party’s grassroots network and regional power structure.Political observers are closely reading Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s May 5 visit to Udaipur, his first visit to the region in nearly six months, as a significant political move. During the visit, Sharma met booth-level officers (BLOs) and party workers, with sections within the BJP viewing the sudden outreach as an attempt by the state leadership to reassert its presence in a region traditionally considered Kataria’s stronghold.Kataria, one of Rajasthan BJP’s tallest tribal faces and a long-time organisational strategist, has remained politically active in Udaipur despite being appointed Governor of Punjab. His recent participation in social, ideological and cadre-based programmes in the region has drawn considerable attention within party circles. However, several of the programmes reportedly witnessed the absence of prominent local BJP leaders, including the Udaipur MP and some MLAs, fuelling speculation of an emerging political disconnect within the party’s regional unit.Sources in the chief minister’s office indicated that Sharma’s Udaipur visit was also intended to send a broader political message within the organisation that “nothing is above the party and the govt”.“The move came after a series of complaints from elected representatives in Udaipur, who felt that Kataria’s increasing outreach was gradually shrinking their political space and creating uncertainty over local power equations,” a senior source familiar with the developments said.The timing of the visit is also being linked to the BJP’s recent electoral success in West Bengal and Assam, which has helped strengthen Sharma’s position within the party and put to rest speculation over his leadership. Party insiders say the message from the central leadership is that Sharma “was chosen by PM Modi” and continues to enjoy the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP high command.“The message is clear that Bhajan Lal Sharma was personally chosen by PM Modi. Any attempt to undermine him will not be viewed positively by the leadership,” a BJP source said, adding that the leadership also wants all factions within the party to function within organisational discipline. The official at the CMO confirmed that such surprise trips will continue in regions claimed by some leaders as their bastions.Despite the undercurrents, BJP leaders publicly maintain that there is no conflict between the state leadership and Kataria, describing the developments as part of routine organisational activity. However, the growing political signalling from both camps has intensified discussions within Rajasthan BJP over evolving equations ahead of future electoral and organisational challenges.
