Vasundhara Raje heads to Delhi amid Rajasthan CM suspense

As the suspense over the Rajasthan Chief Minister continues, Vasundhara Raje headed to Delhi on a late-night flight from Jaipur.

She took the 10:30 pm Indigo flight to Delhi.

It is still not confirmed whether Raje has been called by the BJP top brass in Delhi, but that is a possibility.

Raje, a two-time chief minister of Rajasthan, is said to be the front-runner amongst the contenders for the top post. She was instrumental in the BJP securing a comfortable majority of 115 out of 199 seats in the recently concluded Assembly election.

At least 47 MLAs met in Jaipur to greet her after the victory. Many political pundits say meeting her is an indication of the power she still wields in the party's state unit. Some MLAs have also openly called for her to get the top post. Others have said it is the High Command that would decide the CM.

Although she was not made the chief ministerial face this time, Raje held over 50 rallies in support of BJP candidates. At least 35 of them have won the elections. She won her Jhalarapatan for the fifth straight time with a margin of over 53,000 votes. She is considered an asset for the party, having led the BJP to its biggest victory in 2013, scoring 163 seats out of 200. Raje may have a chance of being selected for the top post, especially considering the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Some of the other contenders for the CM post include Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Lok Speaker Om Birla, Diya Kumari, Om Mathur and Mahant Balaknath.

Meanwhile, MPs Diya Kumari from Rajasamand, Rajyavardhan Rathore from Jaipur (Rural) and Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena resigned from the Lok Sabha today as they have been asked to start working for the state. Only Alwar MP Balaknath, who won the Tijara seat, is yet to put in his resignation.

The crucial Parliamentary Board meeting of the BJP is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Delhi. The meeting is likely to deliberate on the selection of chief ministers for the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.