Rajasthan Cabinet rejig: All ministers submit resignation to CM Ashok Gehlot; list of new inductees out

File image of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

All ministers of the Rajasthan government submitted their resignation to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on November 20. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Council of Ministers called by Gehlot at his residence.

The Congress party, hours after their resignation, announced a list of members who would be part of the new Council of Ministers, which is expected to take oath on November 21.

The list confirms the induction of the following MLAs as ministers - Hemaram Chaudhary, Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, Ramlal Jat, Mahesh Joshi, Vishwendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Mamata Bhupesh Bairwa, Bhajanlal Jatav, Teekaram Julee, Govindram Meghawal and Shakuntala Rawat.

The party also announced that Bujendra Singh Ola, Rajendra Guda, Murarilal Meena and Zahida would be inducted as ministers of state.

The resignations of three among the incumbent Cabinet ministers - Raghu Sharma, Harish Choudhary and Dotasra - have been handed over to Governor Kalraj Mishra by Gehlot.

Reports had, earlier this week, claimed that Sharma, Choudhary and Dotasra would exit the state government as the Congress is implementing the 'one person, one post' formula.

While Dotasra is the party's state unit chief, Chaudhary and Sharma are the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charges of Gujarat and Punjab, respectively.

The Cabinet reshuffle exercise in Rajasthan comes shortly before the Gehlot-led Congress regime completes its three years in office.

The party has decided to realign the state Council of Ministers days after it posted a strong performance in the bypolls held in two assembly seats of Rajasthan. The ruling Congress had retained Vallabhnagar constituency and wrested Dhariawad from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The victory strengthened the Congress' tally in the 200-member state assembly to 108 seats.

Notably, the Rajasthan Cabinet has 21 ministers, with an additional room for the appointment of another nine. Speculations were rife that Gehlot may induct loyalists of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot in the rejigged Cabinet.

Pilot was sacked as the deputy CM by Gehlot in July last year, after he launched a rebellion with 18 MLAs supporting him. A month later, however, he met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and agreed to a truce.

Although Pilot was welcomed back by Gehlot, the former was not reinstated as the deputy CM. The Congress' state unit chief post, which was held by Pilot before his rebellion, was handed over to Dotasra.