Almost six weeks after Rajasthan state election results were declared and mere two days before the commencement of the Assembly session, BJP legislators elected Gulab Chand Kataria to the post of Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly in the presence of central observers and state in-charges. Rajendra Rathore was chosen as the deputy leader.

74-year-old Kataria's name was doing rounds ever since poll results were declared and sources in the BJP say central leadership favoured him as well. Party sources cite many reasons why he was the ultimate choice for the job. Being the senior most legislator, Kataria, who is also an RSS ideologue, has experience about the job as he is a three-time leader of opposition. Further, he has a clean image and is known to be uncompromising on issues and questions raised in the Assembly.

In addition, Kataria was also the common choice as his name was least likely to be opposed by either the central leadership or by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. On a lighter note, party sources also point out that he is lucky for the party as every time he has been the leader of opposition in assembly, BJP has been voted back to power.

Rathore, whose name was also in serious consideration for position, is well versed with the functioning of the House. Rathore, who is verbose and quick on his feet, is sure to be an advantage to the BJP in the Assembly.

As party insiders say, Rathore being made deputy leader of opposition is also a clear indication that he has moved out of the shadow of being a Raje loyalist and established cordial relations with the central leadership.

Both Kataria and Rathore are good orators, they don't just stick to their guns but also have the knack of launching counter attack during debates in the Assembly, a quality that BJP needs in coming few months before Parliamentary elections when issues like farmers' loan waiver by the Congress government will come up.

At the same time, selection of Kataria and Rathore also signals a phase that can be considered as central BJP leadership's effort to move away from Raje clout and develop new leadership, one that is committed to them. Kataria has had a turbulent relation with Raje, especially after he announced and later withdrew his Lok Jagran Yatra in tribal areas of Mewar as Raje was scheduled to take out Suraj Sankalp Yatra. Similarly Rathore too had not been part of the inner core group of Raje loyalists over the best part of the last five years.