All eyes on Rajasthan cabinet rejig, crucial meeting determines new faces

Rajasthan will have a new cabinet by November 21 as the government is all set to hold a crucial meeting later in the day. With hours left for the meeting, speculations are rife over which incumbent ministers will get removed and who will replace them. How the caste equation plays out in the reshuffle and which MLAs from Sachin Pilot's camp will get ministerial berths are the two major topics that are keenly observed

Jaipur: A crucial cabinet meeting to be held late on Saturday evening is expected to end the suspense over the cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan. With hours left for the meeting, speculations are rife over which incumbent ministers will get removed and who will replace them.

According to sources, details of the new cabinet will be known by tomorrow (November 21). How the caste equation plays out in the reshuffle and which MLAs from Sachin Pilot's camp will get ministerial berths are the two major topics that are keenly observed.

While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot dodged questions about the cabinet reshuffle, several names are doing the rounds in the political circle of the state. For instance, Bhanwar Singh Bhati is likely to lose his ministerial berth if his brother-in-law Rajendra Guda was included in the cabinet. Subhash Garg is expected to be removed if Mevaram Jain or Sanyam Lodha were included in the cabinet.

Pratap Singh Khachariawas may be on his way out of the cabinet if Murari Lal Meena is included. Mamta Bhupesh may be removed if Ashok Bairwa is inducted into the cabinet.Mahendrajit Singh Malviya can be made a minister in place of Arjun Bamnia-Arjun Bamnia.

The areas where the prospective ministers belong will also be a key factor in the reshuffle. For instance from Barmer leaders such as Hemaram Chaudhary and Mevaram Jain, Alwar-Shakuntala Rawat, Bharatpur-Zahid Khan, Ganganagar-Gurmeet Singh Kunnar, Bhilwara-Ramlal Jat, Jhunjhunu-Bijendra, Ola Rajendra Guda, Dr. Jitendra, Nagaur-Manju Meghandwal, Mahendra Chaudhary are in the fray.

Caste plays a key factor in rejig

As for the caste factor, Raghu Sharma has been removed from the post of minister, so Mahesh Joshi, Rajendra Pareek and Rajkumar Sharma are among the contenders in his place. Sources said that as currently there is one Brahmin less in the cabinet, another one from the community will be inducted. At the same time, it is also being said about Speaker C.P. Joshi that he can be given the post of minister instead of Speaker.

Since Jat ministers Harish Chaudhary and Govind Dotasara have been removed, there may be three new Jat Ministers. Hemaram Chaudhary, Ramlal Jat, Bijender Ola and Narendra Budania are in the fray. Mahendra Chaudhary can be removed from the Deputy Chief Whip and taken into the cabinet. Along with this, Vishvendra Singh, who lost his post during the political upheaval, is also in the race for the post of minister.

As for the Rajput community, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Bhanwar Singh Bhati are currently ministers. In case they are removed Bhanwar Singh Bhati will be replaced by his brother-in-law Rajendra Guda and Pratap Singh Khachariyawas will be replaced by Girraj Singh Malinga. On the other hand, Deepender Singh Shekhawat can become a minister from the pilot quota.

With regard to the representation of the ST community in the cabinet, Arjun Bamania is removed Mahendrajit Singh Malviya will replace him. Paradise Lal Meena can be removed from the cabinet if Murari Lal Meena is included. Similarly, Ramesh Meena, who was removed from his post during the political upheaval in Rajasthan, can also be made a minister again.

As for the SC community at present, Tikaram Julie, Mamta Bhupesh and Bhajan Lal Jatav are ministers in the Gehlot cabinet of Rajasthan. Now if Mamta Bhupesh and Bhajan Lal Jatav are removed in the cabinet expansion, then either Bharosi Lal Jatav, Khiladi Lal Bairwa, Ashok Bairwa, Manju Meghwal or Parasram Mordia can get their place.

Sources said that it will be difficult for MLAs who joined Congress from BSP as well as independent MLAs to be accommodated in the cabinet. However, when the Congress government came into crisis, 10 independent MLAs and 6 BSP MLAs who came to the Congress supported the government.

Only Rajendra Gudha, who came to Congress from BSP, and Mahadev Singh Khandela and Sanyam Lodha among independent MLAs are being considered as contenders, but it is not decided whether their numbers will also come in the present circumstances.

Mamta Bhupesh is the only woman minister in the current cabinet of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan. Now if there is a complete cabinet, then Congress has only three names. These include Shakuntala Rawat, Zahida and Manju Meghwal. It is being said that these three women MLAs will be given ministerial posts, while minister Mamta Bhupesh can be adjusted in the organization.

The leaders who became ministers from the Sachin Pilot camp include the names Deepender Singh Shekhawat, Hemaram Chaudhary, Vijendra Ola, Murari Lal Meena, Ramesh Meena and Vishvendra Singh. Now it has to be seen that all six of these are made ministers or their number will be reduced.

According to sources, resignations of all the ministers will be taken together at the cabinet meeting to be held this evening. After that, a new cabinet would be formed with new names. Preparations for the oath-taking ceremony are in full swing with the new ministers to take oath on Sunday at Raj Bhavan.