RAJASTHAN Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday expanded his Council of Ministers by inducting 22 leaders, including former Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and senior leader Kirodi Lal Meena. As many as 17 are first-time Ministers. The BJP has tried to strike a caste and regional balance in the cabinet by including two Brahmin leaders, four Jats, three each of Rajput and SC/ST apart from other communities. Rathore and Meena are among the 12 Cabinet Ministers inducted on Saturday, while the remaining 10 are Ministers of State. Chief Minister Sharma’s elevation two weeks ago was seen as a generational shift in the State BJP and the Cabinet expansion has consolidated it. The State now has 25 Ministers, including the Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers. Twenty of them are first-time Ministers.

 

Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office to the new ministers. The new Cabinet is a combination of young and experienced leaders. Senior legislators and former ministers Meena, Gajendra Singh Khimsar and Madan Dilawar were inducted as cabinet ministers and Otaram Dewasi as MoS, while cabinet minister Rathore, MoS K K Vishnoi and Jawahar Singh Bedham are first-time MLAs. The ruling BJP has also made its candidate Surendrapal Singh, contesting from the Karanpur Assembly seat, as Minister of State (Independent Charge). Voting on this seat is to be held on January 5. The Congress has criticised the BJP for his induction as minister.

 

In the Cabinet expansion, the BJP has tried to strike a regional balance as well. However, Jaipur has the highest representation with CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, deputy chief minister Diya Kumari and cabinet minister Rathore representing seats of Jaipur city. Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa represents Dudu seat. Dudu was part of Jaipur district before being made a separate district by the former Ashok Gehlot government. In the newly-inducted Cabinet, Kirodi Lal Meena (72) is the oldest and Avinash Gehlot (42) is the youngest.