Raje will follow party decision: Naidu

BJP central leadership on Tuesday sought to convey to Vasundhara Raje that she will have to quit as Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly with Venkaiah Naidu indicating that the decision was taken by the party and not by its president Rajnath Singh alone.

BJP central leadership on Tuesday sought to convey to Vasundhara Raje that she will have to quit as Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly with Venkaiah Naidu indicating that the decision was taken by the party and not by its president Rajnath Singh alone.

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"There are reports in some sections of the media that this decision (asking Raje to quit) was taken by Singh alone (and this has led to her refusal). This is not a Rajnath issue. This is a party decision," Naidu told reporters.

Naidu said he updated Singh about developments in Raje's case at the meeting with him where senior leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Ramlal were also present.

Singh and Raje have political differences and this was being cited as a reason for her refusal to resign in the wake of the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

Naidu, who is the party's pointsman for mediating with Raje, indicated that she had little option but to follow the party diktat, though the party may pay heed to her demands, which include a successor of her choice.

"She will go by the party decision," he said, adding the party would wait for her to recover and talk to her before proceeding further. "There is no hurry. We will wait."

Naidu said Raje had written a letter to him expressing regret about her inability to meet him as she was unwell.

Raje, who came here on a summons from the central leadership, sent her son and MP Dushyant, as her emissary to meet Naidu yesterday as she was unwell.

Naidu said Dushyant did not carry any demands from Raje before she steps down.