JAIPUR: Discussions within the BJP are heating up over the selection of the CM a day after the party’s victory in the Rajasthan Assembly elections. Party sources said the rising degree of restlessness has quietly reached Delhi from Jaipur.
State party chief CP Joshi and state in-charge Arun Singh are in Delhi with a status report that they would share with the party leadership. They are scheduled to meet PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party chief JP Nadda.
The buzz is that the BJP may go for a fresh face as its Chief Minister. One ‘formula’ that is doing the rounds is the party may go for a chief minister and two deputy CMs. Among the names being seen as frontrunners for the top post are Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Diya Kumari and Om Mathur.
Analysts suggest that several senior state party leaders along with four MPs who emerged victorious in the polls have intensified their efforts to form a stance on the top job in Rajasthan. It is believed that a decision on Rajasthan could align with what happens in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
On Monday, many MLAs visited the residence of former CM Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur. Among them were MLAs Kalicharan Saraf, Babu Singh Rathore, Premchand Bairwa, Govind Ranipuria, Lalit Meena, Kanwarlal Meena, Radheshyam Bairwa, and Kalulal Meena. Raje has served as the CM twice, and is once again considered a natural contender for the top post.
However, her decade-old friction with the party leadership could make things difficult for her. The strained ties reportedly led the party not to project a CM’s face in this election. However, keeping PM Modi in the front of the campaign proved successful. However, some analysts say that to ensure continuity, the BJP may give Raje a chance at least until the Lok Sabha elections due next year.
Besides, the recent trends in states with elections under PM Modi’s leadership suggest the emergence of new faces being appointed as CMs. This has prompted about half a dozen leaders in Rajasthan vying for the CM’s position.
There is also speculation that an “outsider” candidate might be declared the chief ministerial face in Rajasthan. In such a scenario, the BJP legislature party would need to pass a resolution to elect that leader as its leader, making them the temporary Chief Minister. This ‘CM’ would contest elections on one of the safe seats. To facilitate this, any MLA from the party elected in that specific seat may be coerced to resign. The resigning MLA could be assured of a significant post in return.
‘An outsider’
There is also speculation that an “outsider” candidate might be declared the chief ministerial face in Rajasthan. In such a scenario, the BJP legislature party would need to pass a resolution to elect that leader as its leader, making them the temporary CM.