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Major rejig likely in Raj cabinet, Pilot holds meeting with Sonia
Two insiders with knowledge of developments don’t rule out the possibility of Pilot getting some responsibilities, too, if the proposed reshuffle goes according to plan.
A major reshuffle encompassing both ministerial and other political appointments might take place in the Rajasthan government to balance regional sentiments and caste combinations, and get rid of some non-performing ministers, with the larger aim of managing the turf war between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
Two insiders with knowledge of developments don’t rule out the possibility of Pilot getting some responsibilities, too, if the proposed reshuffle goes according to plan.
The former deputy CM of Rajasthan, who rebelled against Gehlot in July 2020, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday for over an hour. “It is essential to form our government in Rajasthan again in 2023. The party’s decision would be taken keeping the factors such as experience, credibility, regional balance and caste combination in mind,” Pilot said outside 10 Janpath, Gandhi’s residence.
“There’s not much time left (for poll preparations). There are some vacancies to be filled and there are some balancing to be done,” he added. The reshuffle is likely to take place this month, based on a formula acceptable to both Gehlot and Pilot, said people aware of developments. Two more meetings are likely to finalise names.
Gehlot had met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, and party general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ajay Maken and KC Venugopal a day before.
The Gehlot cabinet currently has nine vacancies and three ministers—state Congress unit chief Govind Singh Dotasara, and the party’s Gujarat and Punjab in-charges Raghu Sharma and Harish Chaudhary, respectively—hold two posts each. Some of them might be relieved from ministerial assignments, said party leaders with knowledge of developments.
The Pilot camp is also hopeful that a few “non-performing ministers” might also be dropped, said the leaders quoted above.
“In the meeting, Pilot also pointed out that while Punjab has got its first Dalit CM, Rajasthan doesn’t even have a Dalit minister even as it got overwhelming support from SC/ ST [scheduled caste and scheduled tribe] and minorities in the last assembly polls.”
According to a senior party leader involved in Rajasthan matters, there are at least six districts that are not represented in the Union cabinet and the next reshuffle might address the regional imbalance. The Pilot camp is hopeful that their leader gets a bigger responsibility after elections in five states are done early next year.
Pilot loyalists are hopeful that out of the vacancies arising in the Rajasthan government, at least 50% posts will go to them but Gehlot too, has a strong rapport with the high command and his administrative and political experience may benefit him.
“Whatever happens in Rajasthan, it would not be a one-sided decision. Sonia Gandhi has met both Gehlot and Pilot. All reshuffle should be acceptable to Gehlot as well...,” said the senior leader.
