Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot expressed his happiness at the Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle scheduled for today. "I am happy that party, high command and state government took cognisance of [our demands]," said Pilot, reported ANI. "Four dalit ministers have been included in new cabinet. It is a message that AICC, state government and party wants representation for dalits, backward and poor. Representation of tribals has also been included. I think it was a necessary step that has been taken forward by Congress and the state government."
In the reshuffle, five leaders from the Sachin Pilot camp will be included in the ministry. According to reports, Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena and Hemaram Chaudhary will take charge as cabinet ministers, while Brijendra Ola and Murari Meena will become ministers of state. At the height of the political crisis in the state last year, when Pilot rebelled and was stripped of all party posts, Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were sacked as cabinet ministers.
The cabinet reshuffle was a big demand from the supporters of Pilot, who wanted the state ministry expanded and political appointments made, involving Pilot loyalists, so that there is a balance of power between the two sides. Pilot and his supporters were getting restless as it has been over a year since a truce was called between them and the Gehlot camp, and the assurances given to them. However, despite repeated interventions of the party high command, Gehlot was reportedly delaying the cabinet expansion exercise, citing the necessity to accommodate the independent MLAs supporting his government, and the BSP legislators who had joined the Congress.
In the latest reshuffle, certain caste and regional imbalances will also be rectified. Three ministers of state, all of whom are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, have been elevated to the cabinet rank, according to reports. The new state cabinet will for the first time have four SC members. The reports also claimed that there will be three ministers from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, along with three women—a Muslim, one from the SC community and a Gujjar. Among the new ministers to take oath as cabinet ministers are Hemaram Chaudhary, Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, Ramlal Jat, Mahesh Joshi, Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Mamta Bhupesh Bhairwa, Bhajanlal Jatav, Tikaram Juli, Govind Ram Meghwal and Shakuntala Rawat. The three SC ministers who have been elevated to the cabinet rank are Bhajanlal Jatav, Mamta Bhupesh Bhairwa and Tikaram Juli.