Rajasthan BJP president Vasundhara Raje will be sworn in as Chief Minister at a grand ceremony here on Friday. Governor Margaret Alva invited Ms. Raje to form the government after she met her on Tuesday to stake her claim following the party’s landslide victory in the just-concluded Assembly elections.
Ms. Raje handed over to the Governor a letter declaring her the BJP Legislature Party leader. . This will be Ms. Raje’s second stint as Chief Minister. She earlier held the post during 2003-2008, when the BJP had 120 seats in the 200-member House. Now its tally is 162. The swearing-in ceremony will be organised on the turf of the sprawling Assembly premises. In addition to a seating capacity for 1,200 persons on the main venue, there will be 30,000 chairs provided for the general public and BJP supporters on the adjoining Janpath. BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, credited with the party’s victory in Rajasthan and other States, will be the star attraction at the ceremony. Party leaders L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States will be present.
According to the party sources here, a few senior leaders are likely to join Ms. Raje’s Cabinet when she takes the oath. It will be expanded later to give representation to different castes and regions.
Ms. Raje told journalists at the Raj Bhavan that senior party leaders would be consulted on ministry formation.
Later, she visited the Ramdeora temple of folk god Baba Ramdeo at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district. She later went to Churu, where polling will be held on Friday, to address a rally in support of BJP candidate Rajendra Rathore BSP nominee Jagdish.
