NEW DELHI
All eyes are on which party is in a position to form the government in Rajasthan. If Congress gets the magical number on Sunday, the decks will be cleared for Ashok Gehlot to become the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the fourth time.
Till hours ahead of the counting, there was discussion that the Congress would emerge as the single largest party in Rajasthan. It was also expected to touch the figure of 100. Gehlot was said to be assured of a victory on the basis of feedback from candidates.
Meanwhile, in the BJP camp, Om Mathur’s name figured prominently as a strong candidate for CM post. If BJP gets a comfortable majority, then Mathur could be the CM.
At the same time, former CM Vasundhara Raje is also active. She met the Governor and visited the Sangh office. Raje also visited Moti Dungri Ganesh Mandir. There is an atmosphere in her favour as well.
There is speculation that Rajasthan would witness a hung Assembly, with no party getting a majority. The Governor might call the leader to form the government who could garner support of independents to reach the majority mark. The meetings in the last few days suggest that Governor Kalraj Mishra’s role is going to be quite crucial. Raje’s claim for CM post is said to be strong as she is the only leader to have any hold in every pocket in Rajasthan. She has worked hard during the campaigning. However, Raje might get a chsance only if BJP misses the majority mark by a few seats.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Meghwal, state BJP chief C.P. Joshi, former state BJP president Satish Poonia, and Diya Kumari are also among contenders for CM post. However, the BJP leadership might put a stamp of approval on Mathur’s name. Mathur needs no introduction. He is the senior most leader of the BJP in Rajasthan. He has immense understanding of organisational and electoral strategy. He has been holding organisational responsibilities for a long time. He has been in charge of BJP in Gujarat twice. He is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mathur is party in charge in Chhattisgarh. The saffron party could be in fight in that state because of his planning in Chhattisgarh. Mathur’s name was considered for BJP national president twice. He was also considered for a ministerial post at the Centre. However, he did not get a chance due to unavoidable reasons. Mathur will not be opposed by anyone. BJP rebels who win the elections could also rejoin the party out of respect for him. If BJP wins, Mathur’s name could be announced in a couple of days after the counting. If Congress retains power, Gehlot might choose the date of swearing in as per his convenience.