Rajasthan: Bhajan Lal Sharma sworn in as new CM on his birthday

| Updated: 15 December, 2023 1:24 pm IST

NEW DELHI: Bhajan Lal Sharma, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), officially assumed office as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan in a ceremony held on Friday. Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office to Sharma at the Ramnivas Bag in Jaipur, marking his first tenure as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Accompanying him, BJP MLAs Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa were sworn in as deputy chief ministers.

The ceremonial event, which coincided with Bhajan’s birthday, witnessed the presence of eminent political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and chief ministers from several BJP-governed states. The outgoing Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, was also in attendance at the ceremony.

Stringent security measures and elaborate seating arrangements were implemented at the historic Albert Hall for the momentous occasion.

Sharma’s appointment as chief minister was announced during a BJP legislature party meeting earlier in the week. The decision was made in the presence of the party’s central observers, Rajnath Singh, Saroj Pandey, and Vinod Tawde.

Having secured victory in the Sanganer assembly seat with an impressive margin of over 48,000 votes, Sharma emerged triumphant with 145,162 votes, surpassing Congress’ Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who received 97,081 votes.

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Hailing from Bharatpur district, Sharma expressed his commitment to lead the BJP team in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. “All our MLAs will work under the leadership of Modi ji to fulfil the aspirations that the people have from the BJP and take Rajasthan on the path of development,” Sharma emphasised in an earlier statement to reporters.

Sharma’s ascendancy marks a generational shift in key heartland states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP has garnered substantial victories in recent assembly polls.

During the November 25 assembly elections, the BJP secured a notable triumph, clinching 115 seats out of the 199 contested seats (of the 200-member state assembly). In contrast, the incumbent Congress party managed to secure only 69 seats, signaling a significant political transformation in Rajasthan’s leadership landscape.