70th b’day in Churu sparks Rathore’s political revival

Jaipur: BJP's leader of opposition against the previous Gehlot govt, Rajendra Rathore's political isolation following his 2023 assembly election defeat from Taranagar seems about to end.
In a highly symbolic show of support, chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union cabinet minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and state cabinet ministers Avinash Gehlot and Gautam Kumar Dak attended Rathore's grand 70th birthday celebration in Churu—his home turf—Monday. BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh and party state president Madan Rathore, along with half a dozen MLAs, were also present. The event drew large crowds, with supporters raising slogans during the speech given by CM Sharma.
A seven-term MLA and four-time minister, Rathore has long been seen as BJP's key crisis manager, strategist, and the party's strongest Rajput face in Rajasthan since the death of former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. However, following his defeat to Congress's Narendra Budania by 10,345 votes in 2023, Rathore's graph plummeted—reduced from a key decision-maker to someone only wheeled out to counter former CM Ashok Gehlot's statements. Though his name came up for a Rajya Sabha seat and later for Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Rathore was passed over for both—fueling speculation about his gradual political exit. The Churu celebration, however, appears to be the party's attempt to undo that sidelining.