Cabinet reshuffle: Raje inducts 6 new faces

In her second cabinet reshuffle, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday inducted six new ministers including a Dalit woman MLA, elevated two state ministers to Cabinet rank and dropped two state ministers.

Five parliamentary secretaries were also appointed separately.

With two years to go for assembly elections in the state, Raje said the second cabinet reshuffle was an exercise to work with a "full team" to complete the government's goals in the remainder of its tenure.

BJP MLAs Srichand Kriplani (Nimbahera) and Jaswant Singh Yadav (Behror) were inducted as Cabinet rank ministers while Banshidhar (Khandela), Dalit face Kamsa Meghwal (Bhoplagarh), Dhan Singh Rawat (Banswara) and Sushil Katara were inducted as state ministers.

State Ministers Ajay Singh and Baboo Lal Verma were also elevated to Cabinet rank while Jeetmal Khant and Arjun Lal Garg were dropped.

They tendered their resignation which was forwarded to the Governor Kalyan Singh.

The Governor administered oath to the 8 ministers (6 new and 2 elevated) at a ceremony in Raj Bhawan.

The council of ministers, apart from the chief minister, now has 29 members with 17 Cabinet and 12 State Ministers. The portfolios will be announced soon.

Before the reshuffle, there were 13 cabinet and 12 state ministers.

After the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-inducted ministers was over, five Parliamentary Secretaries were also appointed by the chief minister.

Shatrughan Gautam (Kekri), Kailash Verma (Bagru), Narendra Nagar (Khanpur), Omprakash (Mahwa), and Bhima Bhai (Kushalgarh) were appointed as parliamentary secretaries.

Chief Minister Raje administered them oath in her office.

"Team Rajasthan is working good and now this is an opportunity to work with the full team. In the last two years, the full team will work with dedication which will benefit all," Raje told media persons at Raj Bhawan.

Newly-inducted Cabinet minister Jaswant Yadav said he would fulfill all the responsibilities given to him.

"I am thankful to the chief minister and the party's leadership for giving me this chance. I will do my best and work to make the state progress and reach new heights and will discharge my duties to the fullest," Yadav said after taking oath.

The members of council of ministers and newly inducted ministers were asked to remain present in Jaipur for a meeting on Saturday.

The ministers and MLAs started visiting the official residence of the chief minister where they were informed about the development.

After their meeting with the chief minister at noon, the six MLAs left the her residence for the BJP's state headquarters where they were felicitated and garlanded by the party's state president Ashok Parnami and other leaders before the swearing-in ceremony.

This is the second cabinet reshuffle, since Vasundhara Raje was sworn-in as the chief minister on December 13, 2013.

The first reshuffle took place in October 2014.

Photograph: Reuters