Posts
Raje accommodates RSS, as long as it suits her too
Jaipur : The RSS has found a strong presence in Rajasthan’s expanded cabinet but Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje too has had her way in keeping her detractors out.
A key leader with RSS roots, Gulab Chand Kataria, is now Home Minister and therefore second in command. For her part, Raje has kept out Ghanshyam Tiwari, who is known to have been strongly backed by the RSS. And other Sangh-backed leaders whom she did give portfolios to are close to her too.
Raje was away in Singapore when the central leadership announced that Kataria would lead the party in the civic polls in November. This is a departure from the trend of previous years, when no specific leader would be chosen and the state party president and senior leaders would take charge. The flip side is that Kataria could also be an easy target should the party fail to perform in the local body elections — the party suffered losses in the recent assembly bypolls — but Kataria’s stature has increased with a portfolio so far handled by Raje herself.
Kataria had been named by the CBI in a supplementary chargesheet on the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. When Raje had formed the government in December, his name had come up for the home portfolio along with that of Rajendra Rathore, prime accused in the Dara Singh fake encounter case, but activists staged protests and submitted a memorandum that neither be given the portfolio.
Raje then gave Kataria rural development, panchayati raj and disaster management and relief while Rathore got health and parliamentary affairs. In the reshuffle on Tuesday, Raje gave Kataria home, justice, civil defence and home guards, besides prisons and disaster management, and relief.
Kataria is one of the most senior leaders in the state and had served as home minister in Raje’s previous term, which is when he allegedly “conspired” to kill Sohrabuddin who was allegedly demanding Rs 24 crore as protection money from marble traders. Hearings on the encounter are on and Kataria often has to appear in court.
Rathore too was elevated on Tuesday with portfolios such as cabinet secretariat, election, waqf, law and litigation added to health and parliamentary affairs. Since his induction as minister, four witnesses in the Dara Singh case have turned hostile including Singh’s wife.
In her balancing act with the RSS, Raje includedher supporters such as Vasudev Devnani, whom she gave primary and secondary education and language — a portfolio the RSS has been keen on. Raje divided education between Devnani and Kalicharan Saraf, who retained higher and technical education. Kiran Maheshwari got public health and groundwater, Anita Bhadel women and child development. Former BJP state president Arun Chaturvedi, another Raje supporter in the RSS, was elevated to cabinet minister from minister of state, with six portfolios including social justice, minority affairs, general administration. He was clearly an exception to the rule that a first-time legislator doesn’t enter the cabinet.
Raje also drew three Dalit ministers and three women into her team. The expansion has been judicious, the total being 26 ministers including.
A key leader with RSS roots, Gulab Chand Kataria, is now Home Minister and therefore second in command. For her part, Raje has kept out Ghanshyam Tiwari, who is known to have been strongly backed by the RSS. And other Sangh-backed leaders whom she did give portfolios to are close to her too.
Raje was away in Singapore when the central leadership announced that Kataria would lead the party in the civic polls in November. This is a departure from the trend of previous years, when no specific leader would be chosen and the state party president and senior leaders would take charge. The flip side is that Kataria could also be an easy target should the party fail to perform in the local body elections — the party suffered losses in the recent assembly bypolls — but Kataria’s stature has increased with a portfolio so far handled by Raje herself.
Kataria had been named by the CBI in a supplementary chargesheet on the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. When Raje had formed the government in December, his name had come up for the home portfolio along with that of Rajendra Rathore, prime accused in the Dara Singh fake encounter case, but activists staged protests and submitted a memorandum that neither be given the portfolio.
Raje then gave Kataria rural development, panchayati raj and disaster management and relief while Rathore got health and parliamentary affairs. In the reshuffle on Tuesday, Raje gave Kataria home, justice, civil defence and home guards, besides prisons and disaster management, and relief.
Kataria is one of the most senior leaders in the state and had served as home minister in Raje’s previous term, which is when he allegedly “conspired” to kill Sohrabuddin who was allegedly demanding Rs 24 crore as protection money from marble traders. Hearings on the encounter are on and Kataria often has to appear in court.
Rathore too was elevated on Tuesday with portfolios such as cabinet secretariat, election, waqf, law and litigation added to health and parliamentary affairs. Since his induction as minister, four witnesses in the Dara Singh case have turned hostile including Singh’s wife.
In her balancing act with the RSS, Raje includedher supporters such as Vasudev Devnani, whom she gave primary and secondary education and language — a portfolio the RSS has been keen on. Raje divided education between Devnani and Kalicharan Saraf, who retained higher and technical education. Kiran Maheshwari got public health and groundwater, Anita Bhadel women and child development. Former BJP state president Arun Chaturvedi, another Raje supporter in the RSS, was elevated to cabinet minister from minister of state, with six portfolios including social justice, minority affairs, general administration. He was clearly an exception to the rule that a first-time legislator doesn’t enter the cabinet.
Raje also drew three Dalit ministers and three women into her team. The expansion has been judicious, the total being 26 ministers including.
No comments
सोशल मीडिया पर सर्वाधिक लोकप्रियता प्राप्त करते हुए एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ मप्र का सबसे ज्यादा पढ़ा जाने वाला रीजनल हिन्दी न्यूज पोर्टल बना हुआ है। अपने मजबूत नेटवर्क के अलावा मप्र के कई स्वतंत्र पत्रकार एवं जागरुक नागरिक भी एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ से सीधे जुड़े हुए हैं। एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ एक ऐसा न्यूज पोर्टल है जो अपनी ही खबरों का खंडन भी आमंत्रित करता है एवं किसी भी विषय पर सभी पक्षों को सादर आमंत्रित करते हुए प्रमुखता के साथ प्रकाशित करता है। एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ की अपनी कोई समाचार नीति नहीं है। जो भी मप्र के हित में हो, प्रकाशन हेतु स्वीकार्य है। सूचनाएँ, समाचार, आरोप, प्रत्यारोप, लेख, विचार एवं हमारे संपादक से संपर्क करने के लिए कृपया मेल करें Email- editor@mponlinenews.com/ mponlinenews2013@gmail.com