Months after appointing Charanjit Singh Channi as the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab, the Congress has taken it's new representation drive to neighbouring Rajasthan.
The long-pending Cabinet expansion reflects the party's strategy to make overtures towards Dalits and Adivasis.
The new Rajasthan Cabinet will have four Dalit ministers — Mamta Bhupesh Bhairwa, Bhajanlal Jatav, Tikaram Juli, and Govind Ram Meghwal. They come from different sub-castes within Dalits in the state — Meghwal, Bairwa and Jatav.
While Bhairwa, Jatav, and Juli were elevated to Cabinet from their existing rank of minister of state, another Dalit, former MP Govind Ram Meghwal, is a fresh face in the refurbished Cabinet.
The Congress is projecting the appointment of four Dalit ministers as significant. Earlier there was only one Dalit minister in the Cabinet, Master Bhanwar Lal, who held the portfolio of Social Justice and Empowerment. But after his death in October 2020, there had been no Dalit representation in the Cabinet.
THE CALCULATION BEHIND THE NEW APPOINTMENTS
With just two years left before the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress government is keen on consolidating its hold among Dalits and Adivasis. The overwhelming support of these sections had propelled the party to power in 2018. Congress had won 31 out of 59 seats reserved for SCs and STs while the BJP’s tally came down to 21, from 50 in 2013.
However, the Congress faced a washout in the Lok Sabha elections, though surveys like CSDS say that it still got more Dalit votes than the BJP while the latter led among Adivasis.
According to the 2011 census, the SCs constitute 17.8 percent of Rajasthan’s population and the STs are 13.5 percent. There are 34 seats reserved for the SCs and 25 for STs.
The BJP’s poor performance was particularly notable in places where the state had witnessed violence during and after the 2 April 2018 bandh, which was called in protest against the Supreme Court order on the SC/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
It wasn’t just the Congress that gained from this shift. The BSP doubled its tally from 3 to 6 and the newly-formed Bharatiya Tribal Party also opened its account.
Keeping elections in mind, the new list has also increased representation of Adivasis, Muslims, and Gujjars.
There are three ST ministers in the Cabinet, which will also have three women — a Muslim, a Dalit, and one from the Gujjar community.
After losing the support of the Bharatiya Tribal Party, which has two seats in the Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has left no stone unturned to woo the tribal vote bank.
Similarly, bringing in Shakuntala Rawat, a known Gehlot loyalist, is being seen as an effort to woo the Gujjar community who were unhappy after Pilot, a Gujjar, was sidelined. With Shakuntala’s entry now there are two Gujjar ministers in the government.
Ashok Chandna, who is also a supporter of Gehlot, is already a part of the council of ministers.
The representation of the Muslims has also doubled, with the inclusion of Zahida Khan as a minister of state. Earlier Saleh Mohammad, Cabinet minister for minority affairs was the only Muslim face in the Gehlot government.
The two leaders represent two extreme ends of Rajasthan geographically. While Zahida is from Kaman in Bharatpur district in the eastern end of Rajasthan, Saleh Mohammad is from Pokhran in the border district of Jaisalmer.
Rajendra Singh Gudha, who is an open supporter of Gehlot and had joined the Congress after winning the election on a BSP ticket, has also been made a minister of state. Six turncoat BSP MLAs had been demanding a ministerial berth.
TIGHTROPE WALK FOR GEHLOT
While Gehlot has managed to appease people from all communities and factions, the ones left out from his new Cabinet are Independent MLAs. None out of 13 could make it to the list.
“It was not an easy task for Gehlot. It took months to convince every group. The independents are also important and they will be accommodated in upcoming postings,” a senior Congress leader close to Gehlot told The Quint.
As per sources, some more MLAs could be accommodated in the near future as advisors to the CM, parliamentary secretaries, and heads of state commissions. All these posts will have MoS rank.
The Congress has announced 15 new names in the Rajasthan council of ministers — 11 to be inducted as Cabinet ministers and the rest as ministers of state. The new Cabinet ministers are Hemaram Choudhary, Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya, Ramlal Jat, Mahesh Joshi, Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Mamta Bhupesh Bairwa, Bhajanlal Jatav, Tikaram Jully, Govind Ram Meghwal, and Shakuntala Rawat.
The four new ministers of state are Zahida Khan, Brijendra Singh Ola, Rajendra Singh Gudha, and Murari Lal Meena. Of the new faces, Mamta Bhupesh Bairwa, Bhajanlal Jatav, and Tikaram Jully were earlier ministers of state who have now been elevated to Cabinet rank.
Adding the newly-inducted 15 ministers, the Gehlot government will now have 30 ministers, the maximum it can accommodate, including the chief minister himself. The Rajasthan Cabinet had nine vacancies but filling them was not an easy task.
The party has also made a point that the ‘one leader, one post’ strategy is adopted in Rajasthan too. While the existing ministers remain unchanged, only three were asked to resign, which included Govind Singh Dotasara, Raghu Sharma, and Harish Chaudhary. Dotasara who was the former primary education minister will now only be the PCC president. Similarly, Sharma who was health minister will now only look after Gujarat – where he had been made in charge last month. Chaudhary will have his hands full in the next few months as the in-charge for poll-bound Punjab.
Approval of the final list took several rounds of meetings with the Congress high command. Gehlot and Pilot met interim Congress president separately.
Apart from the five Pilot loyalists, the other 10 ministers sworn-in are known to be from Gehlot’s faction. The chief whip of the Congress party in the state Assembly, Mahesh Joshi and the deputy chief whip Ramlal Jat who have been included for the first time in the council of ministers are known to be among the staunchest supporters of Gehlot.
FIVE PILOT LOYALISTS BECOME MINISTERS AS PART OF THE TRUCE
The Congress high command had to work hard to ensure that a balance is struck and five Pilot loyalists are made ministers.
In July 2020, Sachin Pilot was sacked from his ministerial posts as from his position as PCC chief, for openly rebelling against the party. His two loyalists in the Cabinet, tourism and Devasthan minister Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena, Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, were also sacked.
However, exactly 16 months later, Vishvendra Singh, a two-time MLA from Deeg-Kumher and Ramesh Meena, an MLA from Sapotra, made a triumphant return to the Rajasthan Cabinet. Interestingly Singh, who was a close aide of Pilot, is said to have drifted away in the last few months.
Hemaram Chaudhary, a six-term MLA from Gudamalani, has been included as well. Chaudhary, who is a Pilot loyalist had tendered resignation in January this year but wasn’t accepted.
Besides these three Cabinet ministers from the Pilot camp, two more loyalists Brijendra Singh Ola and Murari Lal Meena have been made state ministers. This is said to be a significant concession given to Pilot.
Pilot, who was the first one to call a presser in reaction to the reshuffle, not only hailed the decision but also called it a ‘good message'.
During the presser, Pilot said that the Cabinet expansion has sent a “good message” across the state, especially, the increased representation of SCs, STs, Muslims, women, and people of all castes.
He said that the increase in the percentage of women in the Rajasthan Cabinet is in line with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s declaration that 40 percent of the tickets distributed by Congress in the Uttar Pradesh elections will be reserved for women.
“Four Dalit ministers have been inducted which, in itself, is a big sign that the AICC, state government and our party want representation for Dalits, neglected, backward communities, and the poor everywhere. Also, the representation of Dalits, tribals, women, and minorities has increased in the new council of ministers,” he said.
When asked if the factionalism in the party will be reduced after this truce, Pilot said, “There is no factionalism within the party. The Congress will have to work together to keep BJP at a bay”, he added.
WHAT ABOUT PILOT'S NEW ROLE?
While Pilot has managed to accommodate five of his loyalists in the Rajasthan council of ministers, he himself holds no portfolio.
It is still unclear if Sachin Pilot will be accommodated in the government or given a prominent role nationally. As per party sources, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reportedly wanted Pilot to take charge of party affairs in Gujarat, ahead of elections due end of next year. But Pilot had shown no interest in moving to Gujarat.
Raghu Sharma from Rajasthan was made Gujarat state in-charge.
Another rumour that was making rounds was that Pilot would again be made PCC chief. However, this too has been ruled out after Dotasara was asked to resign from his ministerial post and take full responsibility as the state Congress chief. Dotasara was made PCC chief in 2020 after Pilot was removed from his post.
During the presser on Sunday morning, 21 November, when asked about his role in the party, Pilot said he will take instructions from the high command and abide by them.
“In the Congress party, elections are fought under collective leadership under the leadership of Sonia ji and Rahul ji and that will continue to happen. As compared to the work I had done in 2013, I worked harder in 2018. I will do more in 2023 and in 2028 as well,” said Pilot on his role in the state politics.
(The author is a journalist based in Rajasthan reporting on politics, gender, human rights and issues impacting marginalised communities. She tweets @tabeenahanjum)
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