Central BJP observers led by Rajnath Singh arrive in Jaipur to pick CM

The BJP legislature party meeting will be held at the party office at 4 pm to pick the state's next chief minister.

Jaipur: hree central BJP observers led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived here on Tuesday to oversee an all-important legislature party meeting where the state's next chief minister will be picked.

Singh and two co-observers -- Vinod Tawde and Saroj Pandey -- reached the pink city along with Union minister Pralahd Joshi, who was the party's election in-charge for Rajasthan, in a chartered plane.

They were welcomed at the airport by state party president C P Joshi and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

All of them went straight to a hotel near the airportand are holding a meeting there.

The BJP legislature party meeting will be held at the party office later in the afternoon to formally pick the state's next chief minister.

The newly elected MLAs have already reached the party office for the meeting. After the announcement of the chief minister, a delegation will go to the Raj Bhawan to stake claim to form the government.

Former chief minister Raje and Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ashwini Vaishnaw are said to be among the frontrunners for the chief minister's post in Rajasthan, one of three states that the BJP won in the recent elections.

However, when asked about the probable candidates for the chief minister's post, party leaders maintained the decision of the high command will be acceptable to all.

Several BJP MLAs have called on former chief minister Raje in recent days in what was seen as a show of support, amid speculations the party may spring a surprise this time. She also met party leaders in De

However, the party leaders including Rajendra Rathore, who lost the elections, said there is no tradition of show of strength in the BJP.

He said on Monday that MLAs go to meet senior leaders to exchange wishes and it should not be seen in that sense only, and asserted that all BJP leaders in the state are united.

The BJP won 115 seats out of the 199 that went to polls. Polling was postponed in one constituency due to the death of a candidate.