BJP to pick Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan on Sunday

A month after the Rajasthan Assembly election results were announced, the BJP is set to pick the Leader of Opposition in the new House.

BJP state president Madan Lal Saini said the party's national observer and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will hold a meeting with the newly elected legislators here on Sunday.

The Rajasthan poll results were announced on December 11.

After former chief minister Vasundhara Raje's recent appointment as the party's national vice president, the frontrunners for the post appear to be former home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, former parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore and former assembly speaker Kailash.

Political observers said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has advised the BJP national leadership against giving the post to Raje, saying this would be detrimental to the party's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP won 73 seats out of the 199 where elections were held last month, losing out to the Congress which formed the government after winning 99 seats.

Party leaders said an effective opposition in the state assembly will strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party's prospects in the parliamentary elections.

The Budget session of the state assembly is likely to be held in February.

The politics in the state revolved around Raje for the last 15 years. Her appointment at the party's central leadership now is being seen as an end of that phase.