Political News: Loyalty, govt stability should be reshuffle priority: Gehlot to Sonia and AICC brass

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday as part of his preparation for a Cabinet reshuffle, political appointments to state-run boards and corporations and constitution of PCC and DCC panels. Gehlot is learnt to have stressed on the need to consider loyalty and government stability as top criteria for induction into the ministry.

Sachin Pilot has been pressing the AICC brass for ensuring Cabinet berths for his supporters. His well-wishers, on their part, have been hopeful that after Punjab, the Congress leadership ‘will act in Rajasthan’. It is now 16 months since Pilot was removed as deputy chief minister and PCC chief after his ill-fated rebellion.

According to Congress insiders, Gehlot, once again, pointed out that a group of about 15 Independents and five BSP-turned-Congress MLAs provided stability to the Congress regime, along with loyal Congress MLAs, even when the state government braved a toppling bid last year. Therefore, representatives of these three sections, besides those Congress MLAs who even after being part of the aborted rebellion ‘turned loyalists’ be given maximum accommodation in the ministry/corporations as reward and future incentive.

Talking to the media before he returned to his Jaipur office, the CM, however, said it was for the high command to decide on the issue. “The Congress high command will decide on the reshuffle…The party wants good governance in Rajasthan to continue.” He avoided further questions by saying AICC general secretary in-charge Ajay Maken will have the details. The CM also reiterated his demand that the Centre reduce dual taxes.

Maken, who has been talking of an imminent ministry reshuffle for nearly three months now, said the AICC brass and the CM discussed and firmed up a road map for Congress retaining governance in Rajasthan.

The reshuffle could also see some serving ministers eased out. It was for the AICC to decide whether the two ministers recently given party’s charges in Gujarat and Punjab should continue to hold two posts or quit as ministers to follow the one-man-one-post norm.

With the Gehlot government completing nearly three years in office, the CM and the high command feel time is apt for Cabinet reshuffle and political nominations to boards/commissions and PCC/DCC bodies. The decision on the PCC chief continuing as a minister will be taken.