JAIPUR: After a 16-day wait since the Congress’ win the state elections, portfolios have finally been allocated to the members of the cabinet in Rajasthan. Though the ministers were administered the oath of office on Monday, they had no word on their portfolios.
Sources said a tussle was on between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot over the allocation of top portfolios to their respective loyalists and it took party president Rahul Gandhi to force a truce after holding a meeting with them on Wednesday night. The government on Thursday released a list of departments allocated to 25 ministers, including CM Gehlot and deputy Pilot. However, the release of the list followed a daylong political drama, straddling Jaipur and Delhi, on Wednesday.
The CM kept nine departments to himself. These include Finance, Home and the Department of Personnel. Deputy Pilot bagged PWD, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Science and Technology departments. Raghu Sharma was the big gainer with regard to the portfolio allotment, as he was put in charge of Medical, Health and DIPR departments. Gehlot loyalist Shanti Dhariwal got Urban Development and Housing, Local Self department, as well as the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs department.
Pilot said, “We will give people a government that they had been waiting for. Our priority will be to deliver on the promises that we made to the people before the elections.”Bajanlaal, BJP’s general secretary in the state, slammed the Congress saying, “The mandate of the people has been defeated, as the decision on ministers and their portfolios are coming from Delhi. This will work to our advantage.”