Rajasthan CM Swearing-in Ceremony Highlights: Bhajan Lal Sharma takes over as state CM; Diya Kumari & Prem Chand Bairwa as his deputies

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa on Friday said the state's new government will work to take the Centre's schemes to the last mile.

After taking charge as the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, Bairwa took potshots at the former Congress regime and alleged that they did not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work to reach the general public.

"The outgoing Congress government did not want the work that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing should reach the public and Modi ji get the credit. They did not want it to happen. That's why the schemes were not allowed to reach the grassroot-level," Bairwa told reporters at the Secretariat.

"We will work on taking those schemes to the last mile and at the ground level on priority," he added.  (PTI) 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma greeted his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajan Lal Sharma on his birthday and on assuming office on Friday.

"Heartiest birthday wishes to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma Ji. 

Today also marks a special day for him as he assumes office of Chief Minister. His humility, years of connect with grassroots and immense goodwill will power his  journey to take Rajasthan to new heights. 

May Bhagwan Govind Deo ji grant him good health and a successful Chief Ministerial tenure," Sarma wrote on X.

Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari has raised concerns about the state's lack of development over the past five years. She highlighted issues such as a rise in crimes against women, a collapse of law and order, and a poor financial condition. Acknowledging the trust placed in the BJP and PM Modi by the people of Rajasthan, she emphasised the collective commitment to working together under the guidance of the Chief Minister.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari on Friday assumed her office and greeted Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and former CM Vasundhara Raje.

Meanwhile, before assuming her office, the Rajasthan Deputy CM held prayers in the office.

The Rajasthan's new chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma assumed office amid chanting of vedic mantras on Friday.

Hours after taking oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's top leadership in front of iconic Albert hall, Sharma reached the chief minister's office (CMO) in the secretariat where he was received by officers.

BJP state president CP Joshi, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal, Kailash Chaudhary, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, former BJP state president Satish Poonia, newly elected MLAs and former MPs Rajyavardhan Rathore and Kirodi Meena were present at the CMO.

All of them were said to be in the race for the post before Bhajan Lal, a first time MLA, was picked for the post in the BJP legislature party meeting on December 12.

After Sharma sat on the CM's chair, Raje put her hand on his head to bless him. In turn, Sharma stood and offered sweets to Raje and others. (PTI)

First-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma was sworn in as the chief minister of Rajasthan at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's top leadership on Friday, 12 days after the party ousted the Congress in the assembly polls.

Hours after Bhajan Lal Sharma took oath as the chief minister of Rajasthan, the state government on Friday "temporarily" appointed three IAS officers to the chief minister's office.

T. Ravikanth, a 1998 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been given the charge of the principal secretary to the chief minister.

Ravikanth replaced IAS officer Kuldeep Ranka, who served as the principal secretary to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Simultaneously, Anandhi, an IAS officer of the 2007 batch, has given the charge of the secretary to the chief minister and 2017 batch IAS officer Saumya Jha has been temporarily appointed the chief minister's joint secretary.

The order in this regard was issued by the department of personnel. (PTI)

? In a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top leadership of the BJP, first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma assumed office as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan on Friday. This event took place 12 days after the BJP secured victory over the Congress in the assembly polls.

? Bhajan Lal Sharma, a BJP state general secretary, took charge of the state on his 57th birthday. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the historic Albert Hall, saw Deputy Chief Ministers Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa also taking the oath before Governor Kalraj Mishra. 

?The outgoing Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, graced the ceremony. The event garnered a substantial audience of BJP MLAs and party workers from various parts of the state.

? A leader with the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bhajan Lal Sharma had been appointed as the leader of the BJP legislature party on December 12, setting the stage for his Chief Ministership.

? Prime Minister Modi, along with BJP President J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among other senior leaders, graced the swearing-in ceremony with their presence.

? The event also witnessed the attendance of newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, Gujarat CM Bhupendrabhai Patel, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, and Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended birthday greetings to Bhajan Lal Sharma, who today assumed the position of Chief Minister in Rajasthan. 

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, "Birthday greetings to Rajasthan's CM Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma Ji. A dedicated Party Karyakarta for years, he has made commendable efforts to strengthen BJP across the state. As he embarks on his Chief Ministerial journey, I wish him the very best in fulfilling people's aspirations."

Prem Chand Bairwa, 54, was on Tuesday announced as one of the two deputy CMs during the meeting of the BJP’s legislature party in Jaipur.

A second-time legislator from Dudu Assembly Constituency near Jaipur, Bairwa is again a surprise choice for the post, as the party chose him over established Dalit leaders such as Madan Dilawar and Anita Bhadel.

First-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma has officially become the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, with Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa sworn in as the state's two Deputy Chief Ministers.

First-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma is now officially the Chief Minister of Rajasthan! Divya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa are being sworn in as the state’s two Deputy Chief Minister’s. A high-profile affair, the swearing-in ceremony was attended by BJP’s top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and BJP president J P Nadda.

The two Deputy Chief Minister-designates Divya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa have arrived for the oath-taking ceremony. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived for the oath taking ceremony of Rajasthan's new Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Stay tuned! 

Rajasthan is moments away from officially getting a new Chief Minister. Several top BJP leaders are present at the oath taking ceremony. Among them are Tripura CM Manik Saha, Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are yet to arrive. 

The stage is set for the swearing-in of Rajasthan's new Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and his two deputies Divya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa. Take a look: 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Jaipur for the swearing-in of Bhajan Lal Sharma, said, “Today is the swearing-in ceremony of Bhajan Lal Sharma and I congratulate him. The people here have rejected the guarantee of Congress and accepted the guarantee of PM Modi. People have made up their minds to re-elect PM Modi in 2024.”

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who arrived at Jaipur today to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bhajan Lal Sharma, said: "...My best wishes to him and his team. I am confident that the new CM Bhajanlal will fulfil PM Modi's guarantees.”

The new Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly, BJP Ajmer North legislator Vasudev Devnani is currently in his fifth consecutive term as an MLA. He also held various portfolios as a Minister of State during Vasundhara Raje’s two tenures as CM.

A teacher by profession, Devnani, who turns 76 next month, was Minister of State, Primary and Secondary Education, from 2004 to 2008 and then again between 2014 and 2018, apart from holding the portfolios of Sanskrit Education, Higher Education, etc. for various durations.

His last tenure as minister was marked by rewriting of textbooks, especially history, with the BJP and Congress constantly trading barbs over the issue. In an interview to The Indian Express last year, Devnani had said that “teaching ‘Akbar the Great’, which is not a reality, will not lead to a patriotic spirit among students. But if you teach ‘Maharana Pratap the Great’, this will automatically raise their patriotic spirit.” Read More

Diya Kumari was the least surprising among the names the BJP announced because for the past several months it was apparent that her star was on the rise. She was also considered among the potential CM candidates. Kumari, 52, is a member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family. Her paternal grandfather was Man Singh II, the last ruler of Jaipur. Even before the Rajsamand MP was drafted in to contest the Assembly elections — she won the Vidhyadhar Nagar seat in Jaipur by 71,368 votes — she was considered a potential top leader in party circles, with parallels drawn with former CM Vasundhara Raje who is from the erstwhile Gwalior ruling family in Madhya Pradesh and married into the erstwhile royal family of Dholpur in Rajasthan.

Prem Chand Bairwa was the other name announced as one of the two deputy CMs during the meeting of the BJP’s legislature party in Jaipur. A second-time legislator from Dudu Assembly Constituency near Jaipur, Bairwa is again a surprise choice for the post, as the party chose him over established Dalit leaders such as Madan Dilawar and Anita Bhadel. Bairwa had previously been an MLA from Dudu in 2013, but was defeated in the 2018 Assembly elections by Congress rebel Babu Lal Nagar who had contested as an Indepednent. Dudu is known as the area of influence for local strongman Nagar, who has been elected to the Assembly five times from the constituency.

The swearing-in ceremony of Rajasthan chief minister-designate Bhajan Lal Sharma will kick off in Jaipur at around 11.15 am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, several union ministers and chief ministers of different states will attend the ceremony in front of the iconic Albert Hall.

Good Morning and welcome to our Live Blog as we bring to you the latest on the swearing-in ceremony of Rajasthan Chief Minister-designate Bhajan Lal Sharma and his deputy CMs Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa. Follow this space for latest news and updates from the oath taking ceremony