All eyes on Rajasthan as ministers resign ahead of Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday

(Source: ANI)

New Delhi: Rajasthan seems to be gaining the political mileage ahead of the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle as all ministers in the state council have tendered their resignations to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday (November 20, 2021). 

The development comes ahead of a Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) meeting scheduled for Sunday.

"All ministers resigned in the meeting," Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, who held the charge of the transport minister confirmed.

The new cabinet ministers are likely to take the oath of office on Sunday at 4 pm.

Earlier, three key ministers - Revenue Minister Harish Chaudhary, Medical and Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma and Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra, had offered their resignations to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

According to Khachariyawas, Govind Singh Dotasra, who resigned from the cabinet on Friday, had moved a proposal at the beginning of the meeting following which all ministers resigned.

"We have been asked to go to the PCC office on Sunday where further instructions will be given by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra," Khachariyawas told PTI.

Before the resignation, there were 21 members in the Council of Ministers including the chief minister.

It must be noted that there can be a maximum of 30 members in the Council of Ministers in the state of 200 MLA seats. 

However, it has yet not been decided who all will be included in the new cabinet but the process of reaching out to Congress MLAs in Jaipur has already started. 

Sources said that senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot will meet Ajay Maken, the state in charge of the party's Rajasthan unit before the names of ministers are decided for the cabinet expansion.

Apart from the Congress MLAs, independents who support the government and MLAs who defected from the BSP to Congress also have expectations from the reshuffle.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Governer Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur.

#WATCH Rajasthan: CM Ashok Gehlot meets Governor Kalraj Mishra, at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur pic.twitter.com/OtdITMALoD — ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2021

The demand for a Cabinet reshuffle had been augmenting for the last several months with Pilot’s camp pressing that supporters of the former deputy chief minister be included in the government.

A cabinet reshuffle was assured by the Congress following a mutiny between the Gehlot and Pilot camps after the former deputy CM declared an open rebellion against the incumbent CM.

(With agency inputs)