The race for becoming a minister is ongoing in the Bharatiya Janata Party along with the chief minister. The decision regarding the chief minister will be made by the central leadership. However, the decision is expected to be discussed in the legislative party meeting. Nevertheless, it is believed that a meeting of the legislative party may be called in one or two days. Meanwhile, several legislators who have won elections are now actively participating in the race to become ministers.
It is believed that this time, around 15 to 18 members of the cabinet, along with the chief minister, may take the oath. According to sources, the BJP is likely to give more opportunities to the youth with experience in the cabinet this time. Discussions are also underway to give a chance to first-time legislators. Therefore, new legislators have also joined this race. Legislators are engaged in lobbying through prominent leaders associated with the party.
The following names are considered certain:
1. Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore- From the Jhotwara assembly seat, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore defeated Congress candidate Abhishek Chaudhary with more than 50,000 votes. He has previously served as a minister at the centre and is also a Member of Parliament from Jaipur Rural. This is his first time contesting elections as a legislator, and he has secured victory.
2. Diya Kumari- Legislator Diya Kumari from Rajasthan contested from the Vidhyadhar Nagar BJP stronghold seat this time, defeating Congress candidate Sitaram Agarwal with more than 71,000 votes. She is one of the prominent faces of the BJP, and she will certainly be given significant responsibilities in the government.
3. Kirodi Lal Meena- He became a legislator from Sawai Madhopur, and now he is almost certain to get a ministerial position. He defeated Congress candidate Danish Abrar by more than 22,000 votes. Meena has previously served as a minister in the Vasundhara Raje government, and his wife Goluma Devi has also been a minister in the Gehlot government.
4. Kalicharan Saraf- He has been a seven-time legislator. He has been winning elections continuously since 1975. Initially, he used to contest from the Johari Bazar seat. After delimitation, he developed Malviya Nagar as his stronghold. Saraf has served as a minister in the Vasundhara Raje government and is considered close to Raje.
5. Gopal Sharma- won from the Civil Lines seat in Jaipur, defeating Congress candidate Pratap Singh Khachariyawas with a record margin. Due to being a Brahmin face and associated with the RSS, he is also considered a contender for the ministerial position. Gopal Sharma is expected to be given significant responsibility in the government.
6. Balkanath- He won from Tijara by defeating Congress candidate Imran Khan. He is also being considered as a contender for the chief minister’s position. If he does not become the CM, he is likely to be appointed as a minister in Rajasthan.
7. Shrichand Kriplani- He has been a three-time legislator. In 2018, Kriplani lost the election to Congress candidate Udaylal Anjana. This time, he defeated Anjana by more than 11,000 votes. Kriplani has previously served as the UDH minister in the Vasundhara Raje government and is considered close to Raje. Therefore, he may become a minister again.
8. Pratap Singh Singhvi- He won from the Chhabra seat in Baran. He defeated Congress candidate Karn Singh Rathore. He has been a six-time legislator and has previously served as a minister in the Vasundhara Raje government. Being close to Vasundhara, he may benefit from it.
9. Deepti Maheshwari- He may also get a role in the government this time. She contested and won in the by-elections after the death of former minister Kiran Maheshwari. As Kiran Maheshwari’s daughter, she may be given a place in the cabinet as a young face from the Vaishya community.
A maximum of 30 ministers can be accommodated in the cabinet.
It is worth noting that the number of members in the cabinet can be determined based on the total number of legislators. A maximum of 15% of the total seats can be appointed as ministers. In Rajasthan, the Legislative Assembly has a total of 200 seats. Therefore, a maximum of 30 ministers can be appointed in Rajasthan. However, initially, only a limited number of names will be included in the cabinet. Afterwards, the cabinet may be expanded as needed.
