Vasundhara brought back to head BJP in Rajasthan

Gearing up for assembly elections in Rajasthan later this year, BJP brought back former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to head the party in the state.  

Announcing Raje's appointment in the presence of senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, BJP President Rajnath Singh said party leader Gulab Chand Kataria will be the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. He will take over from Raje who quit the post.

Raje is also expected to be BJP's chief ministerial face, though a final decision in this regard will be taken after the polls.

Soon after assuming her new responsibility, Raje said "BJP is a family. In this, not just us but workers are also there. This is a big family and, as Gulab Chand Kataria said, we will take it forward with everybody."

The announcement comes as part of the party's efforts to end dissidence in its state unit. The tenure of the 200-member current assembly in Rajasthan ends on December 31, 2013.

Raje appointment came after hectic debate in BJP's Core Group meeting and with RSS leadership, where an assessment emerged that she was the only one who could lead the party back to power in Rajasthan.