JaipurAugust 29, 2025 08:16 PM IST
First published on: Aug 29, 2025 at 08:13 PM IST
The BJP government in Rajasthan is all set for a Cabinet reshuffle soon and the decision will be taken after the coming Assembly session, state BJP president Madan Rathore tells The Indian Express in an interview.
Targeting the Congress, Rathore, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, says the Opposition party is frustrated because the Bhajan Lal Sharma government has taken decisions that it failed to take when in power. Excerpts:
Is a Cabinet reshuffle on the cards?
Yes, the Cabinet will be reshuffled soon. This is a routine process to see whether a person is suitable for any other position. Some people are more suitable for some other post. Our party keeps analysing the situation and updating governance. The CM will decide after the next Assembly session, which begins on September 1.
Following the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice-President last month, Congress leaders alleged that the BJP was against the Jat community. Earlier this month, the party expelled K K Janu because he criticised how it had dealt with Jats in light of Dhankhar’s resignation. Is the Jat community unhappy with the party?
I was present in the last session of the Rajya Sabha and noticed Dhankhar ji was not feeling well as he took many breaks while handling the session. The allegations that the BJP is against Jats have no basis. Dhankhar ji resigned of his own will because of health reasons and we need to accept and respect his decision. Neither was Dhankhar ji made Vice President because of his caste and nor was he removed because of his caste. We see the calibre of people. The Congress tried to make it an issue, but was not successful. Also, we have many Jat leaders in the party who are strengthening us.
Congress leaders have dubbed his BJP administration ‘parchi ki sarkar (a government run on chits)’, alleging CM Bhajan Lal Sharma doesn’t have the strength to administer. What is your response to them?
These are just the frustrations of Congress leaders. The BJP is not a dictatorship where the decisions are forcefully implemented. The party decided to appoint Bhajan Lal ji after consulting senior leaders.
Bhajan Lal ji has worked a lot since he became CM. The previous Congress government stalled the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). Despite the Central government asking for recommendations, they didn’t send a secretary. In our tenure, PM Narendra Modi came to the state to lay the foundation stone of ERCP, naming it Ram Setu, and work has begun.
Making baseless allegations and calling the government ‘Parchi Sarkar’ are just the Congress’s way of showing its incompetence, as our government took decisions they didn’t.
The BJP urban body and panchayat elections are delayed because of delimitation. The Rajasthan High Court has also asked the government to conduct elections instead of wasting time and appointing administrators in the urban body …
The Congress did delimitation in their time, keeping in mind their political ambitions. They made wards for 500 votes and some wards for 10,000 votes. The Congress made districts with one Assembly seat and some districts with 11 Assembly seats just for their political goals. We have to rectify this mess. Delimitation is going on … we got a stay from the High Court as well.
Several BJP leaders, including Kirodi Lal Meena, Noksam Chaudhary, and Ram Vilas Meena, have expressed dissatisfaction with the party leadership. Is there growing dissent in the party?
There is no dissatisfaction. Kirodi Lal Meena is a respected leader. We might disagree on some points, but we have respect for each other’s opinions. We never try to curb the voices of people. Our party members come forward to discuss their problems. The Congress tries to take advantage of these issues, but we all know its members are dissatisfied. Hence, they are joining the BJP in large numbers. We listen to everyone and give a chance to everyone.
Why has there been a delay in political postings to boards?
Political postings have happened for a few boards, such as the Rajya Vitt Aayog (State Finance Commission) given to Arun Chaturvedi, the Kisan Aayog given to C R Chaudhary, and the OBC Aayog to Madan Lal. We will take our time to find suitable candidates, but will give positions to people as per the requirements.
At a recent rally of Hawa Mahal MLA Balmukund Acharya and Somya Gurjar in Jaipur, slogans were raised in support of the Congress leader Sachin Pilot. Is that a concern, that the party is perhaps losing its footing in the city?
In a democracy, everyone has the right to speak and give support to any leader. These scenarios are usually created by notorious people who want to create a hindrance. It is not right for the Congress to send its supporters to our party leaders’ rally and stoop to this level. It is just a tactic to get attention, nothing else. People in Jaipur City support our party.