Newly elected MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan are set to assemble in Jaipur on Tuesday for a meeting to formally elect the next Chief Minister of the state. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 PM at the BJP state office and will witness the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the observer, alongside co-observers Saroj Pandey and Vinod Tawde.

BJP’s state unit president CP Joshi and in-charge Arun Singh have overseen preparations for the meeting. The registration process for the recently elected MLAs is set to commence at 1:30 PM, news agency PTI reports.

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The days that followed have been filled with suspense on whether the BJP will bank on two-term Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje or opt for a generational shift and install a new face at the helm. Speculation around the latter holding true has gained momentum following the BJP’s surprise picks in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

While the party banked on tribal face Vishnu Deo Sai as its CM choice in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, the party on Tuesday announced OBC face Mohan Yadav as its pick in Madhya Pradesh, ending two decades of rule of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Addressing speculation surrounding the possibility of the selection of a Dalit leader for the chief ministerial role in Rajasthan, Arun Singh said on Monday that “everything will be revealed tomorrow.”

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Besides Raje, a Rajput face, the contenders for the CM post include Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, among others.

Prior to the formal election during the meeting, observers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, are expected to engage in one-on-one discussions with the MLAs. The BJP won 115 seats out of the 199 contested in the elections held on November 25.

Amidst speculation, visits by MLAs to leaders such as Vasundhara Raje were seen as a show of support. However, Rajendra Rathore has highlighted that such interactions should not be misconstrued as lobbying, asserting the unity among BJP leaders in the state, PTI reported.

Additionally, Rathore hinted at the formation of a new “double engine” government in Rajasthan on Tuesday, symbolising the party’s governance at both the state and central levels.

(With inputs from PTI)