By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, Oct 3 (IANS): The Congress government in Rajasthan is contemplating to name two more Deputy Chief Ministers, besides Sachin Pilot, to balance the social equations ahead of the panchayat and civic polls.
Speaking to IANS, a Congress leader said, "Since the day the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed Satish Poonia, a Jat leader, the state party chief, the Congress is thinking of a Deputy Chief Minister from the Jat community to strengthen the vote base."
Another Deputy Chief Minister could be from the SC/ST community to ensure their representation in the government.
The names doing the rounds are Lalchand Kataria and Harish Chaudhary from the Jat community, and Khiladi Lal Bairwa, MLA from Baseri in the Dholpur district, from the SC community.
As they are Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's favourites, their rise would definitely clip Pilot's wings who has been raising questions over the deteriorating law and order. The Home Ministry is being headed by the Chief Minister himself.
Further, in the wake of recent tussle in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), Jats are miffed with Gehlot for ignoring Rameshwar Dudi who wanted to contest the RCA election. Gehlot has fielded his son Vaibhav Gehlot for the RCA presidentship.
Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal, a powerful Jat leader, who has formed an alliance with the BJP for the October 21 Assembly by-elections, has supported Dudi.
"As Beniwal and Dudi are strong Jat leaders, it has become imperative for Gehlot to do some balancing act and naming a Deputy Chief Minister from the community would help him rebuild the Jat connect," said a Congress leader.
Rajasthan BJP chief Poonia told IANS even if the Congress named six Deputy Chief Ministers, it would lose by-elections to Khinvsar and Mandava as well the civic body polls.
"These elections have become Gehlot vs farmers as majority of voters in Khinvsar and Mandava are farmers and the way Congress has insulted Dudi, people have made up their mind to give Gehlot a befitting reply. He has flouted all norms to see his son get elected as the RCA chief," said Poonia.
"In flood-hit Kota, none of the Ministers came to pay heed to farmers' woes. The Chief Minister made an aerial inspection and then forgot about it," he said.
"Let them balance the caste equations, but nothing good will come out because the governance is poor," Poonia said.