Council selection a strategy to keep BJP’s voter base in Rajasthan

Amid speculations of who would or wouldn’t find place in the Ashok Gehlot government, a council of ministers took oath on Monday, almost a fortnight after results to assembly polls were announced in favour of the Congress party.   

A look at the newly-inducted 23-member cabinet shows a fine balancing in more ways than one that went into selecting these names. Firstly, a balance has been worked out between people who can be termed as belonging to Gehlot or Pilot camps. For Gehlot and Pilot, the task was cut out. They had to not only weave together the young and the old in the team, but also keep in mind the caste equation that would help them in the general elections next year.    

Out of the 23 legislators who have been made ministers what is striking is that barring a few exceptions, there cannot be clear demarcation on the “loyalists”. Congress high command made the effort to ensure that even if the legislators have personal affiliations, the lines of allegiance remain blurred. 

The names are largely those that are acceptable to both chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. Raghu Sharma, Govind Singh Dotasara, Mamta Bhupesh, Ashok Chandanana, BD Kalla and Pramod Jain Bhaya are believed to be close to both. 

Those considered Gehlot’s loyalists are Udai Lal Anjana, Saleh Mohammad, Arjun Bamania, Sukhram Bishnoi, Rajendra Yadav, Subhash Garg, Shanti Dhariwal, Parasadi Lal Meena and Lalchand Kataria, while ones close to Pilot are Harish Chaudhary, Ramesh Meena, Pratap Singh, Bhajan Lal Jatav, Master Bhanwarlal Meghwal and Bhanwar Singh Bhati. Vishvendra and Tikaram Juli are said to be the choice of Jitendra Singh.

The council of ministers exhibits a caste balance that has been worked out in a way that not just benefits Congress, but also damages the BJP. Of the 23 ministers - 4 are from the Jat community and the SC; 3 each from ST and Vaishya community; 2 each from Brahmins, Rajputs and the OBC community. From Gurjars, Vishnois and Muslims are represented by 1 member each in the government. 

Apart from this, both chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy CM Sachin Pilot too belong to OBC community. Brahmins, Rajputs and the trading community who have been the traditional BJP voters moved away from the party and the Congress in Rajasthan is eager to keep them in its fold.