Who will be the next CM of Rajasthan? Top 5 probable faces

Rajasthan Election Results 2023: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is expecting a return to power in Rajasthan in line with the state’s trend of voting out the ruling party every five years, contested the polls without a chief ministerial candidate. 

According to the latest ECI reports, the BJP has secured victory on 16 seats, while leading on 100 seats. Whereas, the Congress managed a victory on just five seats, with lead on 64 seats. In the 199-member assembly, a party is required to cross the halfway mark of 100 to form the government.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the campaign in the state with two-time chief minister Vasundhara Raje, 70, expected to be among the leading contenders for the state’s top elected post. Raje has been the BJP’s face in Rajasthan for the last two decades. 

Vasundhara Raje: First woman CM of Rajasthan

The first woman chief minister of Rajasthan, Raje has also been a five-time Parliamentarian. A BJP national vice-president, Raje is seen as a potential administrator who has had frequent run-ins with the top leadership.

Having received her education in Kodaikanal and Mumbai, Raje embarked on her political journey in 1984. Her mother, Vijaya Raje Scindia, a prominent figure among the BJP’s founders, significantly influenced her political upbringing. 

Raje secured a seat in the Lok Sabha from Jhalwar in 1989 and subsequently assumed ministerial responsibilities in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. Raje returned to state politics in 2003 with Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat mentoring her.

Following the BJP's setback in the 2018 polls, Raje decided to maintain some distance from the party, abstaining from its meetings and programs. Despite the clamour from Raje's supporters to position her as the chief ministerial candidate, the BJP leadership opted for a collective leadership approach. 

Nevertheless, the BJP did allocate tickets to more than 40 of her supporters. During this time, Raje actively addressed rallies across the state.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: The BJP's Rajput face

At 56, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the BJP's Rajput figurehead, emerged as another contender for the top position. He gained prominence by defeating Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Jodhpur. 

Shekhawat enjoys close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological foundation of the BJP, and holds a strong connection with the party's top leadership. 

However, Gehlot has accused Shekhawat of involvement in a credit cooperative scam and attempting to destabilise the Congress government in 2020.

Arjun Ram Meghwal: A former bureaucrat

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, a former bureaucrat, is emerging as a potential candidate for the chief minister's post. With a reputation for enjoying Prime Minister Modi's confidence, Meghwal is a three-time parliamentarian and one of the prominent Dalit figures in Rajasthan. 

At the age of 69, he is recognised for maintaining a low profile and being an efficient administrator. His track record suggests a strong administrative capability, adding to his credentials as a contender for the leadership role in the state.

Meghwal, who comes from a family of weavers in Bikaner, resigned as an Indian Administrative Service officer before winning the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 from Bikaner.

Mahant Balaknath: Dedicated to path of saint

Member of Parliament Mahant Balaknath, who contested in the Rajasthan Assembly polls, has emerged as the frontrunner for the chief ministerial position, particularly as the latest trends indicate the party comfortably crossing the halfway mark. 

Balaknath, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Alwar and is 40 years old, said that this time BJP on its own will bag 120 seats in Rajasthan.

Balaknath embraced sannyasa at the tender age of 6, a decision endorsed by his family members. From his early childhood, he devoted himself to the path of a saint. Balaknath has expressed that his lifelong aspiration has been to serve society selflessly.

Diya Kumari: Princess who walks on streets

While the saffron party has not announced any names for the chief ministerial post in Rajasthan, one of the popular candidates is said to be Diya Kumari, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur.

She contested from Jaipur's Vidyanagar East and is reportedly being seen as one of the top choices for the Rajasthan CM post, along with Vasundhara Raje, who has won the election by 53,193 votes.

Kumari is the daughter of the last ruling maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur, Man Singh II. She has become popular for being the "princess who walks on streets" and the "daughter of Jaipur'