"Should Set His Party In Order": Rajasthan BJP Chief On Ashok Gehlot's Dig

Coming out in defence of his party top brass amid the Opposition barbs over the delay in naming its chief ministerial pick for Rajasthan, the BJP's state chief CP Joshi on Sunday said there is nothing wrong in having multiple candidates for the top post.

Speaking with ANI on Sunday, the BJP leader said the key decision for Rajasthan will be taken by the high command at the BJP's legislature party meeting.

"How can one say that we are taking time? All our winning candidates are thanking the public for reposing their faith in them. Observers have been appointed (for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) and the date for the legislature party meeting (for Rajasthan) will be announced soon," Mr Joshi told ANI on Sunday.

On whether having multiple claimants for the top post was the major reason for the delay in naming the chief minister of Rajasthan, Mr Joshi added, "There is nothing like that. Once the legislature party meeting is held, the speculations around our chief minister face will be set at rest. There is nothing wrong with having multiple candidates for the post. All the contenders are deserving candidates." 

Earlier, the BJP appointed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Pandey and national secretary general Vinod Tavde as observers for Rajasthan.

The party secured landslide mandates in all three heartland states, defying some exit-poll estimates that had predicted a tight race.

On outgoing chief minister Ashok Gehlot's allegation that the lack of discipline in the BJP's state unit was to blame for the delay in naming his successor, Mr Joshi said, "He should look at setting his own party in order. There is a process of internal democracy in the BJP and we are following our trusted conventions in naming the chief minister."

On the breakthrough in the ongoing probe into the murder of Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the BJP state lauded the investigating agencies for nabbing the two absconding accused in the case saying there was no place for crime and criminals in the state under the BJP.

"That incident had come as a shocker for all of us. We are in touch with the Governor, DGP, chief secretary and other officials. Prompt action was taken in this matter and all the accused have been apprehended. I thank and congratulate all the agencies for bringing the culprits to book," he said.

Gogamedi was shot dead by three assailants at his residence at Shyam Nagar in Jaipur on December 5. While one of them was shot fatally in an exchange of fire with the police, the other two, identified as Nitin Fauji and Rohit Rathod, fled the scene.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)