Three central Bharatiya Janata Party observers led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Jaipur on Tuesday to oversee an all-important legislature party meeting where the state's next chief minister will be picked.
Singh and two co-observers -- Vinod Tawde and Saroj Pandey -- reached the pink city along with Union minister Pralahd Joshi, who was the party's election in-charge for Rajasthan, in a chartered plane.
They were welcomed at the airport by state party president C P Joshi and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
All of them went straight to a hotel near the airport and held a meeting there.
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The much-anticipated announcement of Rajasthan's new chief minister is expected to unfold today evening during meeting scheduled for 4 pm.
The meeting, to be held at the party's state headquarters, will be graced by BJP central observer Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, along with co-observers National Vice President Saroj Pandey and National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, reportedly confirmed by BJP State General Secretary and MLA Bhajanlal Sharma.
Compulsory attendance has been mandated for all newly elected MLAs, and the chief minister's name is slated to be disclosed within the meeting.
Among the frontrunners for the coveted position are former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, and Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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The BJP secured 115 seats out of the 199 contested in the recent elections, with polling postponed in one constituency due to a candidate's unfortunate demise.
Speculations are rife as several BJP MLAs have recently visited former chief minister Raje, perceived by some as a show of support.
Nevertheless, party leaders, including Rajendra Rathore, who lost in the elections, emphasize that there is no tradition of a show of strength in the BJP. Rathore clarified on Monday that MLA visits to senior leaders are more about exchanging wishes and should not be misinterpreted, underscoring the unity among all BJP leaders in the state.
