More experienced leaders and women to be made ministers in the Gehlot government

New Delhi, Dec 22: Exercise for the formation of the ministry in Rajasthan is complete and chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot are waiting for the nod of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. They will be meeting the Congress president anytime on December 22, 2018.

The Congress sources said that formation of ministry will be done taking into account the Lok Sabha elections in mind which is around six months away from now. It is being said that senior MLAs and experienced leaders will be given chance in the first expansion. Besides, that as per the wishes of Rahul Gandhi more and more women will be given representation in the ministry.

Prominent women MLAs included Zahida Khan Meo from Kaman, Shakuntala Rawat from Bansur and Mamta Bhupesh from Sikrai. Gehlot and Pilot are likely to finalise ministry today in the presence of general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pandey and party observer K C Venugopal.

If sources are to be believed some independents will also be included in the ministry as some names have been discussed. There are 99 Congress MLAs in the state Assembly and in such a situation Gehlot wants to include some independent MLAs in the ministry. As per sources names of former Union minister Mahadev Singh Khandela and independent MLA from Sirohi Sanyam Lodha were discussed.

Meanwhile, around one and half-dozens MLAs who are expecting ministerial berth are camping in Delhi. They have met Gehlot and Pilot in Delhi. They are also lobbying for their names to be included in the ministry by meeting senior leaders of the party. MLA got elected from Uniara-Deoli Harish Meena and Manvendra Singh who contested election against former chief minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan too have reached Delhi. They have met deputy CM in Delhi.

Meena and Manvendra switched sides to the Congress from the BJP just before the Assembly elections. On the other hand, Bikaner West MLA BD Kalla reached Jodhpur house to meet Gehlot.

Gehlot is in Jodhpur House and busy sorting out ministerial work. He had also held a meeting with the finance secretary Niranjan Arya. Congress leader Raghubir Meena and Tarachandra Bhagora too have reached Jodhpur House to meet Gehlot.