Raje Loyalist Kailash Meghwal Calls Union Minister Corrupt As BJP Prepares To Contest Rajasthan Polls Without CM Face

Just months before the Rajasthan Assembly elections, Kailash Meghwal, a seasoned BJP leader and former Speaker, has ignited a political firestorm in the state.

He labeled Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal as "corrupt number one" and announced his intention to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the removal of Arjun from the Union ministry until the alleged corruption cases against him are resolved.

Over the past years, Kailash Meghwal, aged 89, has repeatedly taken steps that diverge from the official party stance. In 2019, during his tenure as the outgoing Speaker, he accused the newly established Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot of disregarding protocols when convening the inaugural session of the state Assembly's 15th term.

He distanced himself from this action, yet the session schedule was announced by the Raj Bhawan despite his objections.

In January 2020, when BJP legislators boycotted the Governor’s address in the Assembly, Meghwal remained seated in the House.

He later engaged in a confrontation with the then Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria and state party president Satish Poonia. He expressed that his objections to the 2019 Assembly summoning without adherence to rules went unsupported.

By mid-2020, amid a political crisis in Rajasthan, Meghwal emerged as a prominent voice aligned with ex-chief minister Vasundhara Raje's faction.

When Congress leader Sachin Pilot accused CM Gehlot of shielding Raje despite a court order against her staying in a government bungalow, Meghwal countered, stating that the bungalow was allotted to Raje as a senior MLA within the set guidelines.

At another instance, Meghwal criticized his own party's alleged attempts to overthrow the Gehlot government through questionable tactics, labeling it as "unfortunate."

He pointed out a conspiracy involving certain ruling party members and the Opposition to destabilize the government, which he believed was unprecedented in the state.

In February 2021, he openly criticized the BJP Legislature Party leadership and joined other party MLAs in addressing their concerns to Satish Poonia, highlighting the alleged neglect of senior party MLAs. Subsequently, Jogeshwar Garg was appointed as the Whip in the Assembly.

In May of the same year, CM Gehlot commended Raje, Meghwal, and another MLA for not supporting the attempted government overthrow. Gehlot clarified that they merely expressed the view that such practices were not part of the state's tradition.

Notably, for the first time in 20 years, BJP has not announced Vasundhara Raje as its CM candidate. She is also reported to have distanced herself from party activities in the past few days showing her disappointment.

Such statements coming from Meghwal, a known Raje loyalist, at this time creates concerns for the BJP which is already struggling with infighting among the leaders.

The party has served Meghwal a show-cause notice and asked him to answer within 10 days as he also praised Gehlot and Speaker CP Joshi.

Spanning a political career of six decades, Meghwal, a Dalit leader, held various positions, including Union minister of state, BJP national vice-president, three-time Lok Sabha MP, and six-term MLA.

Initially aligned with the Praja Socialist Party in the early 1960s, he later joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and subsequently the Janata Party by the end of the decade.

Meghwal was also imprisoned for around 19 months between 1975 and 1977 under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency period.

His journey included becoming an MLA in 1977, followed by ministerial roles and shifts between state and central politics, ultimately returning to the Rajasthan Assembly, where he held roles as a minister and Speaker.

Some within the BJP speculate that Meghwal's recent critique of Arjun Ram Meghwal, who now leads the BJP’s manifesto committee, might stem from concerns about his own candidacy in the upcoming elections. Kailash Meghwal accused Arjun of undue interference in the state's politics.

Addressing a gathering in Shahpura, Kailash Meghwal asserted his readiness to contest the election on the party's ticket or as per public desire, emphasizing his fitness for the challenge. He also reaffirmed his commitment to honesty and transparency in his actions.