With Revanth Reddy all set to take oath as the next Congress-backed Chief Minister of Telangana, the same question now does the rounds of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. While BJP adds Rajasthan to its political scorecard, it is yet to put a stamp on the next Chief Ministerial face of the state.
Amidst news of the party holding a crucial meet in Delhi to finalize names for the same, on Wednesday night Vasundhara Raje reached Delhi but dodged all the political questions directed at her. "I have come to Delhi to meet my daughter-in-law," she told media persons at the airport in response to whether she'll be the next CM and she had come to the Capital for the same reasons.
If the whispers in the political corridors are anything to go by, there is infighting in the party for the top post, but the saffron party wants to prop some fresh names and candidates. However, among the top names doing the rounds are that of Vasundhara Raje, Mahant Balaknath, and Ram Singh Meghwal.
Vasundhara Raje
Raje, a two-time Chief Minister and the first and only woman chief Minister of Rajasthan, still holds political clout in the region and is considered a Raani by her loyal supporters. However, this time during the campaigning neither was she leading from the front nor was she clearly projected as the party's Chief Ministerial face.
After the results were announced, at least 30 MLA's met Raje at her residence, calling the move, "a courtesy visit and not a political show of strength" but to reiterate that her efforts helped BJP return to power and she was their choice as the CM.
Mahant Balaknath
40-year-old Mahant Balaknath's name has been doing the rounds ever since the BJP reached the majority mark in the state. A sanyasi since the age of 6, his rise in the political scape of the state has been more steady than slow. Balaknath, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Alwar, is a BJP loyalist to the core and enjoys a loyal fanbase from his constituency. He is from the same Nath community as that of UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
Arjun Ram Meghwal
A known face in Rajasthan, Arjun Ram Meghwal is the IAS turned politician who ticks off many political points on the CM check-list. The Union Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Minister is from the Dalit weaver community. BJP has not had a Dalit CM in Rajasthan for many decades now and if it announces Meghwal it might be a politically correct move. Meghwal reportedly loves cycling to work and has on many occasions been seen arriving at Parliament on a cycle earning for himself the tag, "cycle wala MP."
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat figures among the other probable names in the CM list. The Union Jal Shakti minister belongs to the upper caste and has done significant political lobbying for the party. He is not likely to be a difficult candidate for BJP and is well-versed with the political nuances of Rajasthan.
