Manvendra Singh’s recent switch to the Congress marks the climax to a long-running cold war in the Rajasthan BJP. The marquee clash of Rajasthan politics – with Vasundhara Raje on one side and the Jaswant Singh family on the other – seems more like a medieval, feudal battle than a modern political tussle.
The personal and the political are so intimately linked in this ‘moonch ki ladai’ (“fight for honour”) that for years, most people did not even know that the feuding families were at war. Yet, in this clash of ego, pride and politics between a powerful Maharani (Raje) and a spirited Thakur clan (Jaswant and family), both sides would rather break than bend!
But why did two of Rajasthan’s tallest BJP leaders turn into foes? For this, one needs to trace the roots of the alienation that bred a sense of betrayal, and ultimately led to a parting of ways well before Manvendra uttered his now famous farewell slogan – ‘Kamal ka Phool, Humaari Bhool’ – ‘Going with BJP’s lotus symbol was our mistake’.