Rajasthan Congress MLA Asks CM Gehlot To Reveal ‘Special Qualifications’ Required For Becoming Minister

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati described the cabinet expansion as a “deception” by Congress to arrest the “declining support of the people”.

File Photo

New Delhi: Following the Rajasthan Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, a Congress MLA wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and asked what “special qualifications” are required for becoming a minister in the state cabinet as he too wishes to become one in the future.

The jibe comes after fifteen ministers, including 12 new faces, took oath in the refurbished Rajasthan cabinet on Sunday, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the Congress government in the state.

In a letter to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Congress MLA Dayaram wrote: “It seems some special qualifications are needed to be a minister. Please tell me what are those qualifications so that I can acquire them in order to become a minister in the future”, news agency ANI reported.

Photo Courtesy: ANI

The Rajasthan cabinet expansion, which has taken place two years ahead of the next assembly polls in the state, gives Dalits and women a stronger presence in the government.

SC ministers Mamta Bhupesh, Bhajan Lal Jatav, and Tikaram Jully were elevated to the cabinet rank, another member from the community, Govindram Meghwal, was inducted at that level.

There are three women ministers now, as opposed to just one earlier. Mamta Bhupesh and Shakuntala Rawat hold the cabinet rank, while Zahida is a newly sworn-in MoS.

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati described the cabinet expansion as a “deception” by Congress to arrest the “declining support of the people”.

“To arrest the declining support of the people, the Congress made a Dalit chief minister of Punjab and in Rajasthan, some Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe members have been made ministers. This is similar to the expansion of the Union council of ministers by the BJP to project themselves as well-wishers. This is just deception,” Mayawati wrote in a tweet in Hindi.

In another tweet, she added: “The Congress has neglected Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Far from giving him respect and honouring him with the Bharat Ratna, these casteist parties have always neglected and despised him. Then how can these parties be true well-wishers of SCs, STs and OBCs?”

2. ख़ासकर कांग्रेस पार्टी ने इनके मसीहा व संविधान निर्माता बाबा साहेब डा. भीमराव अम्बेडकर को आदर-सम्मान देना व भारतरत्न से सम्मानित करना तो दूर बल्कि हमेशा उनकी उपेक्षा व तिरस्कार किया है, तो फिर इन जैसी जातिवादी पार्टियाँ एससी/एसटी व ओबीसी की सच्ची हितैषी कभी कैसे हो सकती हैं?

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) November 21, 2021

The statements came after one out of the six MLAs who had defected from the BSP to Congress, Rajendra Gudha, found a berth in the ministry as an MoS.

Chief Minister Gehlot, after the oath-taking ceremony, had emphasised that representation has been given to all, be it scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, backward classes or minorities. 

Following the oath-taking ceremony at Raj Bhawan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's office also announced the appointment of six MLAs three from the Congress and three independents -- as advisers to the CM.

Jitendra Singh, Babulal Nagar, Rajkumar Sharma, Sanyam Lodha, Ramkesh Meena, and Danish Abrar were appointed as advisors to CM Ashok Gehlot/

(With Inputs From Agencies)