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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested power from Ashok Gehlolt-led government, handing a shock defeat to Congress in the state. BJP secured a comfortable win with 115 seats in its tally. The focus now shifts on to who will be the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Two-time former chief minister Vasudhara Raje has once again emerged as a leading candidate for the Rajasthan CM post. Raje, who led BJP's campaign in Rajasthan along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been the saffron party's face in the state for two decades now.

Among other names that have come up include Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP's Jat face Satish Poonia, Lok Sabha MP from Alwar Baba Balaknath, Jaipur royal Diya Kumari. Here's a look at brief profiles of the key contenders for Rajasthan CM post:

Vasundhara Raje

Vasundhara Raje, senior BJP leader and the first woman chief minister of Rajasthan, has also served as a Parliament member for five times. Born to one of BJP's founder members, Vijaya Raje Scindia, Raje received her education in Kodaikanal and Mumbai. Beginning her political career in 1984, Vasundhara Raje went on to become a Lok Sabha member from Jhalwar in 1989. She became the Rajasthan chief minister for the first time in 2003, during prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government at Centre. She returned to CM office for another term in 2013. After facing defeat in 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Vasundhara Raje's involvement in the party and its functions decreased. 70-year-old Raje however returned to active politics in these elections, where 40 of her supporters were given tickets while she led BJP's rallies in the state.

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Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Another candidate for the top job in Rajasthan is 56-year-old Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is currently serving as the Union Jal Shakti Minister. Shekhawat, who began his career as a student politician in Jodhpur, went on to become the Rajput face of the party. He is also known to be close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and party's top brass. He won his first general elections in 2014 from Jodhpur by a huge margin of 4,10,000 votes. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shekhawat defeated Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, from Jodhpur. He had also been blamed by Gehlot government of attempting to topple his government in 2020. Shekhawat further spelled trouble for Congress as he reportedly played a key role in defection by Gehlot's key aid Rameshwar Dadhich.

Arjun Ram Meghwal

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, 69, has also been named as one of the contenders for the role of Rajasthan chief minister. A former bureaucrat, Meghwal has served as Parliamentarian thrice before. He is one of the key Dalit faces of BJP in Rajasthan. Meghwal, who had humble beginnings coming from a family of weavers in Bikaner, went on to become an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. He resigned from the service before winning the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 from Bikaner. Meghwal is known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Satish Poonia

Satish Poonia is another key contender for the post of Rajasthan chief minister. The 59-year-old leader is the BJP's jat face in the state. Poonia, a resident of the Churu district, graduated from Rajasthan University with a PhD. Poonia was initiated into politics through student elections. He won Amer in the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Baba Balaknath

Lok Sabha MP from Alwar, Baba Balaknath's name has also emerged among the probable. Balaknath, head of the Nath sect in Rohtak, is known to be close to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Balaknath contested the 2023 Assembly polls from Tijara.

Diya Kumari

BJP Lok Sabha MP Diya Kumari, who won from the Vidhyadhar Nagar seats in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections, is also among the contenders. Kumari is a member of the erstwhile Jaipur Royal family. She first became an MLA in 2013 from Sawai Madhopur constituency and also won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Rajsamand. Kumari has secured a win for the second time in the Rajasthan assembly elections. Diya Kumari is the granddaughter of the last ruling monarch of the princely state Jaipur and the daughter of erstwhile Jaipur royal Sawai Bhawani Singh, who was a war veteran. Her father served as a lieutenant colonel and the commanding officer of the Para Commandos of the 10th Parachute Regiment in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

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