Rajasthan CM: After MP, Chhattisgarh, all eyes on state observers; list of contenders for top post

New Rajasthan CM: Following the announcement of new chief minister faces in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, all eyes are on Rajasthan today to announce its legislative party leader. All newly elected MLAs are set to meet in Jaipur on Tuesday to formally elect the next chief minister of the state. 

The meeting, scheduled for 4 pm at the BJP state office, will be attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the main observer, along with co-observers Saroj Pandey and Vinod Tawde.

The saffron party swept the assembly polls in Rajasthan by winning 115 of the 199 seats that went to the polls on November 25. The BJP fought the elections without naming any chief ministerial candidate. The registration process for the newly elected MLAs will begin at 1.30 pm while the meeting of the BJP Legislature Party is called at 4 pm on Tuesday. All BJP MLAs have been mandated to attend the meeting, PTI said in a report.

Observers will hold in one-on-one discussions with MLAs before the formal election of the legislative party leader during the meeting.

Since the results were declared on December 3, there have been speculations that two-time chief minister Vasundhara Raje could be the chosen leader. The 70-year-old has been the BJP’s face in Rajasthan for the last two decades and a five-time Parliament member. Several MLAs have met former Raje at her home in Jaipur’s Civil Lines area showing their support.

But going by the trends in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the party might appoint a new face as the chief ministers.  

Other contenders for the CM's post include  Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, a Rajput candidate, defeated former chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Jodhpur. Shekhawat is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the party’s top leadership. Former Congress CM Ashok Gehlot has accused Shekhawat of involvement in a credit cooperative scam and of trying to topple the Congress government in 2020.

Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, a former bureaucrat, is also said to be close to the top leadership in the party.

Besides these leaders, national general secretary Sunil Bansal, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, senior party leader Om Prakash Mathur are also believed to be in the race. Three MPs who have resigned, Baba Balaknath, Diya Kumari, and Kirodi Lal Meena are also among the contenders.

 

Also read: BJP to give CM post in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh to new faces: Report

Also read: Ex-CM Raman Singh to be Chhattisgarh Speaker, Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma appointed as Deputy CMs

Also read: 'Three-time MLA, OBC leader': All about Mohan Yadav, the new Madhya Pradesh chief minister