The BJP today surprised everyone by making Bhajan Lal Sharma the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The decision was taken during the BJP legislative party meeting held in Jaipur this evening in the presence of BJP observers Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawde and Saroj Pandey. Sharma is a MLA from Sanganer assembly seat. Dudu MLA Dr. Prem Chand Bairwa and Vidhyadhar Nagar MLA Diya Kumari have been appointed Deputy Chief Ministers.
Addressing media after the legislative party meeting, Union Defence Minister and party’s observer for Rajasthan, said, “Bhajanlal Sharma has been elected as the leader of the Rajasthan BJP Legislature Party. There will be two Deputy CMs- Diya Singh and Dr. Prem Chand Bairwa. Vasudev Devnani to be the Speaker.”
Surprisingly, Bhajan Lal Sharma is the first time MLA from the Sanganer assembly seat. He was holding the post of Mahamantri in Rajasthan BJP. Sharma belongs to Brahmin community. Sharma has long been associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP. With the finalisation of names of CM and Deputy CMs, the party is likely to announce oath ceremony date soon.
This is yet another surprise by the BJP and the decision is aimed at keeping the caste equations correct ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to be held in May 2024. Earlier, the BJP made a tribal leader CM of Chhattisgarh and an OBC leader Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
#WATCH | BJP names Bhajanlal Sharma as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/j3awHnmH7k
— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2023
The BJP registered a historic mandate in Rajasthan in the recent held assembly polls by bagging 115 seats out of 199, leading to the ousting of the incumbent Ashok Gehlot government, while the Congress won 69 seats. Election to the Karanpur seat was not held due to the demise of the Congress candiate.
#WATCH | Rajasthan: BJP central observers for Rajasthan, Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawde, Saroj Pandey along with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP leaders CP Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and other leaders at the BJP office in Jaipur. pic.twitter.com/sEXVrzEiOI
— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2023
Before the announcement, the key probables for the CM post were former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, state BJP chief CP Joshi, former MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathod, MLAs Mahant Balaknath, Siddhi Kumari and Diya Kumari. Raje was reportedly among the frontrunners and recently met MLAs loyal to her including Devi Singh Bhati with his grandson and MLA Anshuman Singh Bhati. However, the BJP surprised everyone by the decision.
BJP MLA and former whip Jogeshwar Garg had already said that anything could happen in Rajasthan as well. “As it has happened in two other states, the same process will happen in Rajasthan also.”