Cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan likely next week as Congress shifts focus from Punjab

With Punjab done and dusted, Congress high command has shifted focus on Rajasthan where the power tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former state unit chief Sachin Pilot festering for more than three years is yet to be resolved.

A party source said that the Cabinet expansion and political appointments in the state is likely to take place next week. Ahead of what is being considered the last leg of efforts, AICC general secretary for organisation, K C Venugopal, and AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan, Ajay Maken, will be visiting Jaipur tonight where they will try to take all senior leaders on board. A late-night meeting is expected at the CM's residence.

Pilot, who was in Delhi this week had said that he was in touch with the Congress high command over party issues raised by him and hoped that required steps will be taken by the top leadership.

"The workers who have given so much to the party should get a political reward in proportion to their efforts. It is not about any post or position. We want to expand the Congress family...new people should be associated," he added.

After a bitter war of words that included charges of phone tapping by leaders of the Pilot camp on Gehlot, the party had grounded Pilot removing him from both the posts of Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan PCC chief in July last year. It was a big jolt to Pilot, who was earlier given a big credit for bringing the party to power in 2018 by hitting every nook and corner of Rajasthan after being appointed Rajasthan Congress chief in 2014. After frequent tussles, Pilot with his 18 MLAs had rebelled against the Chief Minister.

One probable long-term solution could be the reinstatement of Pilot as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief while Gehlot remains chief minister for the present term, which ends in 2023. While Pilot is in for a larger role in the state in future, the party might bring him in a senior position in AICC for some time, a leader said.

Discussions have been held from leaders of the two camps to fill up the nine vacancies in the state cabinet to adjust all sections. A few leaders from the Pilot camp have already been adjusted in the Rajasthan PCC. While the party will also look forward to adjusting independent legislators including those from the BSP, who joined Congress, the old-timers who have won four to five times could land with key portfolios.

Rajasthan, which at present, has 21 members in the council of ministers including the chief minister can have a maximum of 30 ministers.

Two rounds of talks between Gehlot and Maken have already happened last month.

Earlier, the reshuffle was delayed as Gehlot was not available due to a myriad of reasons including one advanced by the Gehlot camp that doctors had advised the Chief Minister to avoid one-on-one meetings.

On the issue of filling up the ministerial vacancies, Rajasthan Congress leader Bhanwar Lal Sharma, had last month said cryptically "There is a proverb - Ek Anar, Sau Bimar' (the availability is one while the aspirants are in hundred) But in this case, there are 25 'bimar'. How many would get it?

Check out DH's latest videos: