Shunning rumors of cabinet expansion, Rajasthan Congress shifts gears to focus on Assembly by-elections
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- By-elections in Vallabh Nagar in Udaipur and Dhariyawad in Pratapgarh are due in next few months.
- Seats have fallen vacant due to death of Congress MLA Gajendra Singh Shaktawat in Vallabh Nagar and BJP MLA Gopal Meena from Tribal seat of Dhariyawad.
- There is anticipation in Sachin Pilot faction that they he may get placated in possible cabinet expansion and political appointments by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Jaipur: Amidst raging rumors over possible cabinet expansion in Rajasthan, the party organization has shifted gears and focusing on two Assembly by-elections slated in the next few months. A meeting of committees formed to oversee the by-elections in Vallabh Nagar and Dhariyawad has been convened today by PCC Chief Govind Dotasara.
“Congress has won two out of three assembly elections in Rajasthan recently and now we are focusing on the next two by-elections. With close coordination between party and local leaders we are hoping that Congress will win both seats whenever by-election takes place,” Pratap Singh Kachriaywas, transport minister, said.
Rajasthan Congress had created two committees of seven members each on July 16 to coordinate by-elections in Vallabh Nagar and Dhariyawad. Transport Minister Pratap Singh Kachriyawas is the convenor of the coordination committee of Vallabh Nagar while the Minister of State (MoS) for Tribal Welfare ministry, Arjun Bamaniya, has been assigned to lead in the tribal seat of Dhariyawad.
Mining Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya, Minister for Cooperatives Udai Lal Aanjana, Youth Congress President and MLA Dungarpur Ganesh Ghogra, MLA Dayaram Parmar, Lakhan Meena and ex-minister Pushkar Dangi are other members assisting Pratap Singh in Vallabh Nagar.
In Dhariawad, MoS Sports Ashok Chandana, Senior Congress leader Raghuveer Meena, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Ram Lal Meena, Dinesh Khodniya and Dharmendra Rathore are members of the committee headed by Arjun Bamaniya.
With such early preparation for the by-elections, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is aiming to show his mastery over the caste equation and politics of both the Mewar and Southern Tribal regions of Rajasthan. “A win of Congress in Rajput dominated Vallabh Nagar and Tribal seat of Dhariyawad in Pratapgarh district would have more impact on Rajasthan BJP which is divided into many factions. Dhariyawad was won by BJP in 2018 while Congress won Vallabh Nagar in a triangle created by BJP rebel,” a highly placed source said.
