New Delhi: The blame game over the Rajasthan defeat began in Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday with central leaders questioning the process of selection of candidates, in which Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is said to have had a greater say.
"It is a hit wicket. I think we went wrong on the candidate selection. This factor has undoubtedly influenced the results," party Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said in New Delhi.
He said the delay in launching the poll campaign is also being seen as a factor.
Raje apparently had a free hand in the selection of candidates, with two ministers and more than four dozen sitting MLAs being dropped. At one point of time, the selection process virtually came to a standstill with the Chief Minister and state BJP President Om Mathur locking horns on the issue, party sources said.
"Neglect of some senior members of the party is also being seen as a cause of the defeat," another party leader said requesting anonymity. Senior BJP leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Jaswant Singh had a minimal role in the party's poll campaign.
Ahead of the elections, the state unit also suffered desertions, including former political secretary to the Chief Minister Vishwendra Singh who joined the Congress.
He is said to have influenced the voting pattern against the BJP in Bharatpur region.
Defending Raje, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said "the Chief Minister has performed well but local factors may have gone against her."
"The party will look into the details and make sure that the loopholes are mended before the Lok Sabha polls," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that performance of Vasudhara Raje as chief minister has been "exceedingly good. But the rebel factor has been the problem."
As many as 50 leaders of varying statures had revolted against the party on issues like denial of ticket and disenchantment with the chief minister.
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