Jaipur: Close on the heels of its formation, the BJP-led government of Rajasthan has courted controversy with state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra raising questions about the swearing-in of the two Deputy Chief Ministers tomorrow saying the Constitution does not have the provision of oath for any such post.
Vidyadhar Nagar MLA Diya Kumari and Dudu MLA Premchand Bairwa will be sworn-in as Deputy Chief Ministers along with Chief Minister-designate Bhajan Lal Sharma tomorrow at Ramniwas Bagh outside Albert Hall Museum. Invitation letters in this regard have also been issued at the government level.
Taking to his X handle, Dotasra said there is "no description of the oath of office" of any such person while giving reference to Articles 163 and 164 of the Constitution. "In the government invitation for the swearing-in ceremony to be held tomorrow, the details of the swearing-in of the Deputy Chief Minister along with the Chief Minister have been written, whereas in Articles 163, 164 of the Constitution, there is no description of the oath of office of any such person," Dotasra tweeted.
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कल होने वाले शपथ ग्रहण समारोह के सरकारी निमंत्रण में मुख्यमंत्री के साथ उप मुख्यमंत्री के शपथग्रहण का विवरण लिखा गया है जबकि संविधान के अनुच्छेद 163 , 164 में ऐसे किसी पद की शपथ का विवरण नहीं है। pic.twitter.com/8Lw14EQxqa
— Govind Singh Dotasra (@GovindDotasra) December 14, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">कल होने वाले शपथ ग्रहण समारोह के सरकारी निमंत्रण में मुख्यमंत्री के साथ उप मुख्यमंत्री के शपथग्रहण का विवरण लिखा गया है जबकि संविधान के अनुच्छेद 163 , 164 में ऐसे किसी पद की शपथ का विवरण नहीं है। pic.twitter.com/8Lw14EQxqa
— Govind Singh Dotasra (@GovindDotasra) December 14, 2023कल होने वाले शपथ ग्रहण समारोह के सरकारी निमंत्रण में मुख्यमंत्री के साथ उप मुख्यमंत्री के शपथग्रहण का विवरण लिखा गया है जबकि संविधान के अनुच्छेद 163 , 164 में ऐसे किसी पद की शपथ का विवरण नहीं है। pic.twitter.com/8Lw14EQxqa
— Govind Singh Dotasra (@GovindDotasra) December 14, 2023
Notably, during the third term of erstwhile Ashok Gehlot government, the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister took place outside the Albert Hall of Ramniwas Bagh. At that time, Sachin Pilot took oath as Deputy Chief Minister along with Gehlot. But, this was not mentioned in the government invitation cards.
According to sources, there is no constitutional recognition for the Deputy Chief Minister post and it is the political party that appoints their leader as the deputy for their own political gains. The Deputy CM post too increases the stature of a candidate.
In Gehlot's first term, Dwarka Prasad Bairwa and Kamla Beniwal were appointed Deputy Chief Ministers while during the tenure of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Harishankar Bhabhada had become the Deputy Chief Minister.
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