Rajasthan cabinet rejig: 'Gehlot to decide whom to drop & include' says min Khachariyawas

Giving a glimpse of the long-awaited cabinet rejig, Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas on Saturday, said that CM Ashok Gehlot will decide on how many current cabinet ministers will be dropped. He added that the CM will also how many will be inducted. Those who will be dropped are interested in working at the Central leadership level, claimed Khachariyawas. The cabinet shuffle is a long-standing demand of the miffed Sachin Pilot camp.

Khachariyas: 'CM will decide whom to drop'

"Gehlot is a senior leader, he knows how to keep everyone happy. CM will decide how many ministers will be removed and about cabinet expansion. Those who have resigned, want to work in Central level. CM has told this earlier only and he has also apprised the same to high command," said Khachariyawas.

Recently, ex-Dy CM Sachin Pilot and  CM Ashok Gehlot met with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi to discuss cabinet expansion. Sources report that Pilot was seeking clarity about his 'future role' in the party. Recently, Pilot expressed dissatisfaction over his concerns not being addressed by the three-member committee in the last one year, warning of an imminent split in the party if no solution is found.

Sources have informed that the cabinet reshuffle will follow the "one leader-one post" policy hinting at high-profile exits. As per sources, three leaders - Rajasthan PCC chief Govind Dotasra, AICC in-charge of Punjab Harish Chaudhry, AICC incharge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma are likely to be out in the reshuffle. This comes after several unsuccessful rounds of talks on cabinet reshuffle. Many legislators close to Sachin Pilot publicly voiced their disappointment over the delay in Cabinet expansion and political appointments.

Sachin Pilot's failed rebellion

After Jyotiraditya Scindia's successful rebellion against the erstwhile Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government in March 2020, his peer Sachin Pilot too staged a rebellion in July, flying off to Delhi with 18 MLAs. Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) issued notice to him in connection with the alleged involvement of BJP leaders for toppling the state government - with BJP members hinting that Pilot was reportedly in touch with the BJP camp to become the CM. The Gehlot goverment was thrown into jeopardy as Congress' numbers reduced to 88, with the Speaker immediately issuing disqualification notices Pilot & his 18 MLAs from the Assembly. Congress later relieved Pilot of his ministries as well as posts as PCC chief and Deputy CM.

The political saga reached the Rajasthan High Court as Pilot and his MLAs challenged their disqualification - with the HC ordering maintaining the 'status quo'. With Gehlot managing to maintain his flock while Congress top brass - Rahul, Priyanka and Sonia Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Ahmed Patel - held talks with Pilot and his miffed MLAs and Pilot was successfully brought back into the party's fold. The Gehlot government then won the confidence motion in the Assembly, cutting Pilot to size.