'I am a fast learner'

'We would continue with the Congress government's schemes with a review to enable it reaches the beneficiaries.'

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, December 12, nominated first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma as Rajasthan's new chief minister, ending days of speculation that followed its victory in the assembly polls.

Sharma won the Sanganer assembly seat, defeating the Congress's Pushpendra Bhardwaj by 48,081 votes.

The three central observers sent by the BJP from Delhi proposed Sharma's name as leader of the legislature party in Rajasthan.

BJP leader Diya Kumari, was selected deputy chief minister along with Prem Chand Bairwa.

"I was not in the race for the chief ministership and was entrusted the responsibility by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda," Sharma, who will be sworn in on Friday, December 15, tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Prakash Bhandari.

What is going to be your top priority as chief minister?

Development would be the role model and this would be done with active cooperation from the legislators as they know the needs of their areas.

The Congress has launched several welfare schemes which were liked by the people. Would your government continue these schemes.

Look, all welfare schemes launched by successive governments are in the best interest of the people.

We would continue with the Congress government's schemes with a review to enable it reaches the beneficiaries.

There are a number of senior leaders who have won. How would you handle them as you are a first timer?

I think all the legislators would contribute to enable the government to deliver.

I was not in the race for the chief ministership and was entrusted the responsibility by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda. Thus, we all would work to fulfill the aspiration of the top leadership.

You are a first time MLA and lack experience to handle the administration and the bureaucrats. How would you do it?

I shall learn it with the cooperation of all. We learn all our life and I am also among those. I can only tell you I am a fast learner.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com