The elevation of Gulab Chand Kataria, leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, as the Governor of Assam effectively retires him from active politics in the state, and his area of influence, the Mewar-Wagad region of south Rajasthan. Mr Kataria, at 78, is an active politician deeply rooted in the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He has always been a contender for the Chief Minister's post in Rajasthan, and was Home Minister in BJP-led governments in the state.