Bhajanlal Sharma Sworn in as Rajasthan CM, Vishnu Deo Sai Takes Oath as Chhattisgarh CM

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced Bhajanlal Sharma as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan, ending a 25-year-old trend of alternating rule between the BJP and the Congress in the state. Vidyadhar Nagar MLA Diya Kumari and Dudu MLA Dr. Prem Chand Bairwa were named Deputy Chief Ministers, and Ajmer North MLA Vasudev Devnani was appointed as the Assembly Speaker. The decision came nine days after the BJP’s significant victory in the Assembly elections.

Sharma, a first-time MLA from Sanganer Assembly in Jaipur, is 56 years old and defeated Congress candidate Pushpendra Bhardwaj by 48,081 votes. This marks a shift in the state’s leadership, breaking the cycle where Ashok Gehlot of the Congress and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje took turns ruling for the past 25 years. The announcement was made after the BJP legislature party meeting in Jaipur, attended by party observers Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawde, and Saroj Pandey.

The move also emphasizes a strategic balance in caste equations, with Sharma being a Brahmin, Diya Kumari a Rajput from the Jaipur royal family, Dr. Prem Chand Bairwa a Dalit, and Vasudev Devnani from the Sindhi community. This diverse representation is seen as a deliberate effort to address caste considerations in the state.

Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, the BJP named senior tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai as its Chief Minister. Sai, a former Union minister and three-time state party president, was chosen after the BJP’s elected MLAs met central observers. Raman Singh proposed Sai’s name, seconded by senior leaders Brijmohan Agrawal and state BJP chief Arun Sao. There is speculation that Arun Sao may be appointed Deputy Chief Minister, along with the possibility of Raman Singh becoming the Speaker.

These political developments signify a shift in leadership dynamics in both states and reflect the BJP’s strategic approach to caste representation. The appointments also indicate a balance between experienced leaders and new faces within the party structure.