New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Rajasthan cabinet minister Kirori Lal Meena has found himself entangled in the wrong battle this time. While he has managed to satisfy the BJP leadership with his response to the notice, which may allow him to retain his position for now, there is no guarantee of long-term security. In his reply, Kirori presented himself as a loyal party soldier and provided a detailed explanation. For now, the leadership has merely tested him by having state president Madan Rathore issue the notice. Since the matter has not yet reached the party’s disciplinary committee, it is seen as a warning for Kirori to exercise restraint. Rathore had issued a show cause notice to Kirori, as the latter had alleged that his phone had been tapped by the BJP government in Rajasthan.
A political history of clashes
Kirori Lal Meena has a history of conflicts. Looking back at his political journey, he has clashed with prominent leaders like former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Vasundhara Raje, and Ashok Gehlot. During Raje’s tenure as CM, he opposed her so strongly that he had to leave the party. At that time, Raje held significant influence in Delhi. Later, when he joined the Congress, he found himself at odds with Gehlot, which weakened his political standing. His grip over his voter base began to slip, leading to major electoral defeats—first in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where he lost as an independent candidate to BJP’s Harish Meena, and then in the 2018 Assembly elections, where he faced another significant loss in his own constituency.
Reconnecting with Delhi
After facing setbacks, Kirori re-established connections with the BJP leadership in Delhi. By then, a new era had begun within the party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah—one of the most powerful duos in Indian politics. Former CM Vasundhara Raje, once his fierce rival, had lost her influence. Seeing an opportunity, the BJP welcomed Kirori back into the party and rewarded him with a Rajya Sabha seat.
This rekindled Kirori’s hopes. He initially aimed for a ministerial position at the Centre, but when that did not materialise, he turned his focus to state politics. He launched an aggressive campaign against alleged corruption in the then-Congress government under Ashok Gehlot, gaining support from Delhi. By the time the 2023 Assembly elections approached, Raje had been sidelined, and the BJP lacked a clear CM face. Kirori expected to be rewarded for his relentless campaign against the Congress government.
However, after the BJP’s victory in Rajasthan, Kirori’s aspirations were dashed. He was given a cabinet position but with limited power. This marked the beginning of his growing discontent, though he remained largely silent.
A political miscalculation
Despite the loss, the BJP refrained from taking any immediate action against him and later granted his brother a ticket for the Dausa by-election. The results of the Assembly by-elections further strengthened Sharma’s position, as the BJP won five out of seven seats. One of the two lost seats was Dausa—Kirori’s stronghold.
This was a severe blow to Kirori’s political career. Feeling betrayed by his own party, he began making statements against the government, forgetting that his criticism was not just directed at Bhajan Lal Sharma but also at the central leadership in Delhi.