Rajasthan Election Result 2023: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) steering towards triumph in Rajasthan, a prevalent question on everyone's mind right now is: who will become the Chief Minister of the state? For the unversed, Rajasthan has 199 Assembly seats, with BJP currently leading on 112 seats and incumbent Congress a distant second at 71. Over 40 rebels from both the BJP and the Congress contested the Rajasthan election after they were denied tickets.
On the party's lead in Rajasthan, BJP leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia, a frontrunner for the CM post said, "This victory is of the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vishwas and sabka prayaas' given by PM Modi. It is the victory of the guarantee given by the PM. It is also the victory of the strategy given by Amit Shah and the able leadership provided by Nadda ji. Most importantly, it's a victory for our party workers."
Who will become CM of Rajasthan?
Besides Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Parliamentarian Mahant Balaknath is considered a favourite for the chief ministerial post. At the time of filing the article, Balaknath is leading from his Tijara constituency, with Congress trailing by a huge margin. “As far as the post of CM is concerned, our Prime Minister is the face for BJP and we will continue to work under his leadership. The decision on who will be the CM will also be taken by the party. I am happy as an MP and want to serve society and I am very satisfied with it,” he said. Take a look at the other contenders for the Chief Minister's post in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Election Result 2023: 7 frontrunners for CM post
- Vasundhara Raje: Rajasthan's first female chief minister and a five-time MP, Raje currently serves as a BJP national vice-president. She has been winning the Jhalrapatan seat in Rajasthan since 2003. After BJP's defeat in the 2018 elections, Raje opted for a certain level of distance from the party, abstaining from its meetings and events. Despite calls from Raje's supporters to position her as the chief ministerial candidate, the BJP leadership favoured a strategy of collective leadership.
- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the 56-year-old Union minister and prominent Rajput leader for the BJP, emerges as another potential candidate for the chief ministerial role. His prominence rose when he secured victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Jodhpur, defeating Vaibhav, the son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
- Arjun Ram Meghwal: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stands as another potential contender for the chief minister's position in Rajasthan. With a strong bond with PM Modi, Meghwal, a three-time parliamentarian, is seen as one of the Dalit faces in Rajasthan.
- Diya Kumari: 'Jaipur ki Beti' Diya Kumari is also seen as a potential candidate for the chief minister's post. Born as a princess in the royal family of Jaipur, Diya had joined the BJP on September 10, 2013, in presence of PM Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Vasundhara Raje. She has emerged victorious in both the state and Lok Sabha elections since then.
- Balaknath Yogi: Like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Balaknath hails from the Nath community and enjoys substantial support in Alwar. His initiation into sannyasa occurred at a remarkably young age of 6, with the decision to pursue a saintly path made by his family. Balaknath emphasizes his lifelong aspiration to contribute to society through his service.
- CP Joshi: CP Joshi is also among the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he had secured victory with a substantial margin of 576,000 votes, defeating Girija Vyas from the Congress. Joshi started his political journey with the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Congress.
- Satish Poonia: Name of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Satish Poonia who was pitted against Congress' Prashant Sharma from Amber constituency is also doing the rounds for the top post.
