News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan Chief Minister

  • All schemes of previous govt will continue: Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday said none of the welfare schemes launched by the previous Congress government in the state will be discontinued. He was speaking at a function organised by the BJP to mark Good Governance Day on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

    Reacting to the allegations by the Congress that his government would discontinue the public welfare schemes launched by the previous government, Sharma said, “Congress people are saying our work, our schemes… I want to tell you that we will not stop any of the schemes”.

    The chief minister said free medicines will continue to be made available at the government hospitals and the number of essential drugs would also be increased. Vajyapee made schemes for the welfare of the poor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative forward, Sharma said.

    BJP stalwart Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, and died on August 16, 2018.

    Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and other leaders of the party also paid tributes to Vajpayee on his birth anniversary. The CM also conducted a surprise visit to the state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital and instructed officials to improve the condition of the facility.

  • Bharat Jodo Yatra will be successful in Rajasthan, says Pilot post threat from Gurjar leader

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday distanced himself from the threat by a prominent Gurjar outfit to disrupt the Bharat Jodo Yatra if its demand to make him the Rajasthan chief minister is not accepted, and instead blamed the BJP for trying to create “disturbances”.

    Gurjar Arakshan Sangharh Samiti leader Vijay Singh Bainsla has threatened to oppose the Rahul Gandhi’s yatra in Rajasthan unless his demand to make Pilot, a prominent face from the community, the chief minister is accepted.

    Asked about the threat of Bainsla, the former deputy chief minister of the state said, “No matter how hard the BJP tries, the yatra will be successful”. The BJP may try to create disturbances. BJP’s policy may be to break but the yatra is ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and it will be successful. We all will welcome the yatra in the state with unity,” he said outside the party’s war room where a meeting to review the preparations for the march has been convened.

    On Bainsla’s remarks that the community had voted to make a Gurjar chief minister, he said that the Congress was reduced to 21 seats in the 2013 assembly elections and after that people gave support to the party and the party got mandate in the 2018 elections.

    The Gurjar community constitutes five to six per cent of the state’s population and is influential in over 40 seats, mainly in eastern Rajasthan.

    This region includes the districts from where the yatra is scheduled to pass.

    Bainsla has also accused the Congress government of not fulfilling the promises made to the community.

    ALSO READ | Infighting within Congress cause of concern ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan

    “We had agreements with the government in 2019 and 2020 over several issues but the agreement is not being executed. It is not that we are threatening to stop the yatra but it is the Rajasthan government which is compelling us to take this move by not fulfilling our demands,” he said.

    Infighting between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy and former PCC president Pilot has been going on over the post of chief ministership, an issue which has triggered two political crises in the four years of the Congress government in the state.

    Chief Minister Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, coordinators of various committees formed for looking after the arrangements of the yatra, which is scheduled to enter Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh in the first week of December, are taking part in the meeting.

    JAIPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday distanced himself from the threat by a prominent Gurjar outfit to disrupt the Bharat Jodo Yatra if its demand to make him the Rajasthan chief minister is not accepted, and instead blamed the BJP for trying to create “disturbances”.

    Gurjar Arakshan Sangharh Samiti leader Vijay Singh Bainsla has threatened to oppose the Rahul Gandhi’s yatra in Rajasthan unless his demand to make Pilot, a prominent face from the community, the chief minister is accepted.

    Asked about the threat of Bainsla, the former deputy chief minister of the state said, “No matter how hard the BJP tries, the yatra will be successful”. The BJP may try to create disturbances. BJP’s policy may be to break but the yatra is ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and it will be successful. We all will welcome the yatra in the state with unity,” he said outside the party’s war room where a meeting to review the preparations for the march has been convened.

    On Bainsla’s remarks that the community had voted to make a Gurjar chief minister, he said that the Congress was reduced to 21 seats in the 2013 assembly elections and after that people gave support to the party and the party got mandate in the 2018 elections.

    The Gurjar community constitutes five to six per cent of the state’s population and is influential in over 40 seats, mainly in eastern Rajasthan.

    This region includes the districts from where the yatra is scheduled to pass.

    Bainsla has also accused the Congress government of not fulfilling the promises made to the community.

    ALSO READ | Infighting within Congress cause of concern ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan

    “We had agreements with the government in 2019 and 2020 over several issues but the agreement is not being executed. It is not that we are threatening to stop the yatra but it is the Rajasthan government which is compelling us to take this move by not fulfilling our demands,” he said.

    Infighting between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy and former PCC president Pilot has been going on over the post of chief ministership, an issue which has triggered two political crises in the four years of the Congress government in the state.

    Chief Minister Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, coordinators of various committees formed for looking after the arrangements of the yatra, which is scheduled to enter Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh in the first week of December, are taking part in the meeting.

  • Rahul can challenge Modi in 2024, but common face will be decided by opposition parties: Gehlot

    Gehlot, a senior Congress observer for the Gujarat Assembly elections, said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is misleading the people, asserting that Congress will perform well in the western state.

  • Rajasthan CM Gehlot orders survey to assess damage to crops due to rains

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday instructed officials to conduct a survey to assess the loss of property due to the heavy rainfall in Kota and neighbouring areas.

    Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, along with her son and Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh, also conducted an aerial survey of flooded areas in Jhalawar, Kota and Baran districts.

    According to a government spokesperson, officials have been asked to assess the damage to crops in flood-affected areas in the state.

    Gehlot said the families of those who died due to floods will be compensated from State Disaster Response Fund.

    Many areas in Kota division and nearby areas have been flooded due to heavy rains in the last two days.

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday instructed officials to conduct a survey to assess the loss of property due to the heavy rainfall in Kota and neighbouring areas.

    Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, along with her son and Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh, also conducted an aerial survey of flooded areas in Jhalawar, Kota and Baran districts.

    According to a government spokesperson, officials have been asked to assess the damage to crops in flood-affected areas in the state.

    Gehlot said the families of those who died due to floods will be compensated from State Disaster Response Fund.

    Many areas in Kota division and nearby areas have been flooded due to heavy rains in the last two days.

  • All Rajasthan ministers resign ahead of Cabinet reshuffle

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: All Rajasthan ministers resigned on Saturday during a meeting at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence here.

    Their resignation has come ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.

    “All ministers resigned in the meeting,” Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, who held the charge of the transport minister, told reporters.

    State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, who on Friday resigned as education minister along with two other ministers, had moved a proposal at the beginning of the meeting following which all ministers resigned.

    “We have been asked to go to the PCC office at 2 pm on Sunday where further instructions will be given by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra,” Khachariyawas said.

  • Centre’s faulty polices leading to price hike, hitting Rajasthan revenue: CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI

    KOTA: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday lashed out at the Centre holding it responsible for the incessant rice in prices of essential commodities and also for bringing down the revenue of states.

    He urged the central government to formulate policies that strengthened the states and raised their revenue.

    Addressing a public assembly at Jorwarpura village in Pipalda area of Kota district, Gehlot claimed that the rise in prices was because of the Centre’s “faulty policies” and that the country was witnessing such steep hikes for the first time since Independence.

    ALSO READ | Gehlot’s query exposes bribery in transfer of Rajasthan teachers

    “The prices of petrol and diesel continued to rise and crossed Rs 100 per litre. They now cost around Rs 113-Rs 115 per litre. With the recent cut announced by the Centre on the excise tax, Rajasthan is set to lose around Rs 550 crore,” he said.

    The chief minister, however, urged the Narendra Modi-led government to further reduce the fuel prices by Rs 10-15 per litre, saying though this would mean a loss of around Rs 3,500 crore for the state, his government would bear it “in public interest”.

    Gehlot said it was not fair on the part of the Centre to pressure the states to reduces taxes but it was the responsibility of the central government to strengthen the states and formulate policies that would raise their revenue.

    He alleged the central government had reduced the state’s share in several schemes.

    The chief minister, accompanied by president of Rajasthan Congress Govind Singh Dotasra, landed in a helicopter here and inspected the ‘Prashasan Gaon Ke Sangh’ camp being held in the gram panchayat.

    ​ALSO READ | Symbolic reduction in excise duty on petrol, diesel will not bring down inflation: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    At least 22 departments of the state government have set up their counters to sort out revenue, land, pension, water and electricity connection-related issues among others of the people.

    The chief minister reviewed the working of these counters and took feedback from the people.

    He handed over a wheelchair to a local specially-abled woman, Manjubai, asked her the reason for her disability and gently pushed her in the wheelchair in order to explain how it worked.

    Gehlot termed the ‘Prashashan Gaon Ke Sangh’ camp a great success in addressing the grievances of the public.

    At least 5,941 camps under the initiative have been organised so far in 352 panchyats of the state and over 6.09 lakh cases of mutation, 5.6 lakh cases of record correction, over 4,900 cases of residential land allotment, 6.55 lakh cases of various certificates, 70,000 cases of social security pension and over 31,300 cases of dispute over ways have been sorted out, he claimed.

    Later in the day, Gehlot also visited another camp at Thikerda village of Hindoli Panchyat Samiti in Bundi district.

  • Now, Rajasthan cuts VAT to reduce fuel prices by up to Rs 5 per litre

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government on Tuesday decided to reduce petrol price by Rs 4 per litre and diesel rate by Rs 5 per litre from midnight.

    “In the cabinet meeting today, it was unanimously decided to reduce the rate of VAT on petrol and diesel. After this, the rates will be reduced by Rs 4 per litre in petrol and Rs 5 per litre in diesel from 12 o’clock tonight,” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted.

    The meeting chaired by Gehlot was held at the chief minister’s residence.

    In the Cabinet meeting today, it was unanimously decided to reduce the rate of VAT on petrol/diesel. From 12 o’clock tonight, the rates will be reduced by Rs 4 per liter for petrol and Rs 5 per liter for diesel.
    — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 16, 2021

  • Rejig in Rajasthan cabinet on cards after CM Ashok Gehlot’s chat with Gandhi siblings

    By Express News Service

    JAIPUR:  Even though there is no official announcement, cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan is on the cards. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held discussions with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken at Rahul Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi on Saturday night. On behalf of Rahul, instructions were given to Gehlot to complete the process at the earliest.

    Top leaders remained tight-lipped. Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken told the media after the meeting there was ‘nothing special’. But sources close to Gehlot said that the meeting lasted for over an hour and the chief minister presented a roadmap to Rahul and Priyanka. It is learnt that there was talk on caste and regional balance in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle and political appointments. The role of the Sachin Pilot camp was also discussed.

    Sources said Gehlot spoke about shifting certain leaders from the governmental wing to the organisation. For instance, minister Harish Chaudhary is willing to move from the government to the organisation. Govind Singh Dotasra, who holds the post of state Congress president is also the education minister. Health minister Raghu Sharma has been given the additional responsibility of Gujarat in-charge. Both Dotasara and Sharma have given indications of leaving their ministerial posts.

    The Pilot camp is also said to be demanding a cabinet reshuffle. A consensus is yet to be reached on inducting the Pilot supporters. On Friday, Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi’s advisor Ambika Soni but could not meet the Congress president. Although he was scheduled to stay in Delhi on Sunday, he returned to Jaipur on Saturday night. With bypolls going on in Rajasthan, a cabinet reshuffle is unlikely before the results are declared on November 2.

    In July last year, Pilot and 18 MLAs camped in Delhi against the leadership of Gehlot. It was through the efforts of Priyanka that the crisis was resolved. Since then, Pilot has been asking the Gandhis to fulfil the demands of his supporters. With leaders from Rajasthan meeting the siblings instead of Sonia, observers feel these developments may have broader political implications.

    There are 21 ministers in the Gehlot cabinet and nine more posts are vacant. If Dotasra and Sharma step down, there will be room for 11 new ministers. Gehlot is said to be keen on six MLAs who came to Congress from BSP, other than his 13 independent MLA supporters. The Pilot camp wants 4-6 ministerial posts from among the MLAs loyal to him.

  • Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot discharged from hospital after angioplasty

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was discharged from Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital on Sunday two days after undergoing an angioplasty.

    Gehlot had underwent angioplasty at hospital here on Friday.

    There was 90 per cent blockage in one of his coronary arteries and a stent was placed successfully.

    The 70-year-old Congress leader has been advised to take rest for the next few days and he will be under the supervision of doctors at his residence.

    ​ALSO READ | Cardiac trouble due to post-Covid complications: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    While at the hospital, the chief minister met some patients to know about their health and after being discharged, thanked his staff, doctors, and others.

    “I have reached my official residence safely.

    I would like to thank all the staff including all the doctors, nursing staff, ward boys, sweepers of SMS Hospital who took good care of me,” Gehlot tweeted.

    He further said, “I have seen that the hospital staff deserves praise for the effort made in SMS to serve all the patients well.”

    Angioplasty is a procedure to open clogged heart arteries.

    Gehlot had tested positive for coronavirus in April this year and after recovery in May, he was facing post-Covid issues.

    Gehlot had complained of heaviness in his chest and pain in neck following which an ECG was conducted and it was normal.