No end to suspense on Rajasthan CM’s selection

Amid suspense over whom the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will pick for the Chief Minister’s post in Rajasthan, several new and former party MLAs of the state arrived at Vasundhara Raje Scindia’s Civil Lines residence in Jaipur on Sunday. The saffron party is yet to announce the meeting of the legislature party to choose its leader, who will be the chief minister.

Raje, a two-time chief minister, is among the frontrunners for the CM post. Nearly 10 MLAs, including Ajay Singh and Babu Singh, were at Raje’s residence, sources in the party said.

Earlier, on Monday and Tuesday, several BJP MLAs had met Raje and the meetings were seen as a show of strength.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal also arrived at Jaipur amid an internal tussle in the party over the CM choice.

The BJP, which saw landslide victories in the Hindi heartland during the recently concluded Assembly Election 2023 states, is yet to announce its pick for the top post in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Saffron party has announced the name of Vishnu Deo Sai as the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

While political experts believe that there will be no opposition from incumbent CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in MP, if a new face is given a chance for the top job just like the transition in Chhattisgarh has been smooth, Rajasthan would not be such smooth sailing ride.

Probably that explains why the BJP has not yet convened the Rajasthan legislature party meeting, while the other two are announced.

Raje was recently in Delhi, where she also met the BJP president JP Nadda. The party has already announced three observers, including Union Minister Rajnath Singh, to oversee the legislature party meeting.

In the assembly election results declared on November 30, the BJP got 115 seats while the Congress secured 69 seats. Elections on 199 out of 200 seats in the state were held on November 25. Polling in Karanpur, where the election was adjourned due to the demise of the Congress candidate, will be held on January 5 and results will be declared on January 8.