Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle: Women representation goes up but some say `not enough`

Jaipur: The representation of women in the Rajasthan cabinet has gone up as two new faces have been inducted - Shakuntala Rawat and Zahida Khan on Sunday (November 21).

Mamta Bhupesh, who earlier served as the minister of state, has been elevated to the cabinet rank. Thus, the total number of women in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet rose to three.

Fifteen out of the total 108 Congress MLAs in the House of 200 are women.

“There was indeed a need to increase the participation of women in the cabinet. I am happy that two new faces will be inducted,” Bhupesh told reporters.

“Congress party promotes women. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had taken the initiative to empower women and women leadership,” she said.

Zahida said that it was a good sign that participation of women has increased.

“I am happy that women are being prompted and given opportunities. I will try my best to fulfil the responsibility given to me,” she said.

However, some leaders pointed out that the women still did not get their due share in the cabinet. Congress MLA Shafia Zubair said that the women representation remained well short of 33 per cent mark.

“The Cabinet's structure could've been better. Those with a bad reputation have been promoted. Overall, Cabinet is not sending a good message. Women (MLAs) didn't get 33 per cent reservation,” Congress MLA Shafia Zubair was quoted as saying by ANI.

Fifteen new Rajasthan ministers took oath on Sunday at the Raj Bhavan here as part of the Cabinet reshuffle. The ministers include 11 Cabinet ministers and four ministers of state (MoS). The new Rajasthan cabinet got 12 new faces, including five from the Sachin Pilot camp, in the reshuffle.