Cabinet reshuffle has sent a ‘good message’ across Rajasthan, says Sachin Pilot

Pilot asserted that there is no division or factionalism within the party and that the Congress will have to work together to inform the public about the “bad deeds” of the BJP. The newly declared faces in the Rajasthan council of ministers include four Dalits, three tribals and three women, among whom one is from the minority community.

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“Since there was no representation of Dalits in our government for some time, now not only has that been compensated but in good numbers. Cabinet rank has been given to people from the Dalit community and they have been inducted in the council of ministers. The sections which always stood with the Congress party have been given proportionate representation and participation,” said Pilot. He added that the reshuffle has been done after taking feedback from all leaders and party workers.

“We had raised these issues several times and I am happy that the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi ji, high command and the state government took cognisance of it and completed whatever shortcomings were there and have sped up the process towards the direction we were moving,” said Pilot.

“It is a very appreciable thing that the percentage of women in the government has increased. Priyanka ji has said that in Uttar Pradesh, 40 per cent of tickets will be given to women. For any political party, such a huge declaration is historic. We have seen the reflection of this in Rajasthan as we have done the job of furthering women, given chances to the youth,” said Pilot.

He added that soon there will be other appointments across boards, corporations, commissions across the state. “I have always said on principle that we have to increase the representation of SC, ST, OBC, SBC, minorities, women, young people. It is not about any individual, but a collective leadership should reflect. Those who supported us, who voted for us, because of whom we could form the government, those voters, workers, should be made stakeholders in the government. We have been speaking about this since the beginning. I am happy that the committee formed by Sonia Gandhi on the issues we had raised, has taken cognisance of it and action has been taken… you have seen its first results yesterday,” said Pilot.

He said it was everybody’s intention to repeat the Congress government in 2023 and break the tradition of the incumbent government changing every five years.

On his role in the party, Pilot said he will continue to abide by all instructions given by the Congress party and take up any responsibility entrusted to him. “In the Congress party, elections are fought under collective leadership under the leadership of Sonia ji and Rahul ji. Earlier too we had contested elections under collective leadership, we will continue to do so. The work I had done in 2013, I worked harder in 2018, will do more in 2023 and 2028,” said Pilot on his role in the state.

The long-due cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan has finally taken place after months of deliberations and has been viewed as a balancing act by the party to defuse the rivalry between factions loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot. The two had a public tussle last year which resulted in a month-long political crisis in Rajasthan.