JAIPUR: The ministers in the BJP government in Rajasthan finally got their portfolios on Friday over a month after the election results were declared in early December. The prolonged deliberations on the allocation of ministerial portfolios saw Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma getting eight significant departments including Personnel, Excise and Home. Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari has been assigned six departments, including Finance, Tourism, PWD & Women and Child Development while Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa will manage four key departments including Technical and Higher Education, Ayurveda and Transport.
Among the senior leaders in the cabinet, former Vasundhara Raje government minister, Kirori Lal Meena, has been entrusted with the Agriculture and Rural Development, Disaster Management and Public Deprivation Prosecution portfolios. Gajendra Singh Khinvsar has been appointed to the Medical and Health department, while Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, is tasked with Industry and Commerce, DoIT, Youth Affairs, Soldier Welfare and Skills. Madan Dilawar, a prominent figure in the Sangh Parivar, has been assigned School Education, Panchayati Raj and Sanskrit Education.
Kanhaiyalal Chaudhary has been given the responsibility of PHED and Ground Water, while Jogaram Patel will manage Parliamentary Affairs and Law and Justice. Suresh Singh Rawat has been entrusted with the Water Resources portfolio, and Avinash Gehlot will oversee Social Justice and Empowerment. Zoraram Kumawat has been appointed to Animal Husbandry, Cow Husbandry and Devasthan, while Babulal Kharadi will manage Tribal Regional Development and Home Defence. Hemant Meena will be in charge of Revenue and Colonization, while Surendra Pal Singh TT will oversee Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Irrigated Area Development, Indira Gandhi Canal and Minority Affairs and Waqf.
Sanjay Sharma has been granted independent charge of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and Science and Technology, while Gautam Kumar will handle Civil Aviation and Cooperation. Jhabar Singh Kharra will independently manage Urban Development and Health Governance, while Hiralal Nagar has been given independent charge of Energy. Minister of State Otram Dewasi is responsible for Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Disaster Management. Minister of State Manju Baghmar will oversee PWD, Women Child Development and Child Empowerment, and Minister of State Vijay Singh has been assigned the portfolios of Revenue, Soldier Welfare, and Colonization. Minister of State KK Vishnoi will manage Industry, Youth Affairs, Skill Planning and Policy Making, and Minister of State Jawahar Singh Bedham has been entrusted with Home, Cow Husbandry, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.
Bhajanlal Sharma was sworn in as Chief Minister on December 15 and expanded his council of ministers on December 30 by swearing in 22 ministers, including 12 cabinet ministers, five ministers of state (independent charge) and five ministers of state. However, the distribution of portfolios among the council members took six days. Despite this delay, around half a dozen ministers had already reached the Secretariat and assumed their responsibilities. Governor Kalraj Mishra approved Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's proposal for the division of council departments, leading to the subsequent release of the government-issued list of ministerial portfolios.
