Rajasthan's 'novice' CM suits plans of BJP top brass

Jaipur: He may have to live with the 'Token CM' sobriquet for a while, but that is not all. While Rajasthan's opposition has been calling Bhajanlal Sharma a 'novice' and his government a 'parchiwali sarkar', there are whispers in the power corridors that the state's chief secretary is the de facto head of the government. 

Nine months after becoming the surprise pick for the post of chief minister of Rajasthan, Sharma, according to political analysts, is still working to establish himself as the face of the desert state. What added to his woes was the BJP's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. 

Some critics are harsher at him. They say Sharma is one of the weakest CMs the state has ever seen. Rajasthan has had a tradition of strong and decisive leaders becoming the chief minister such as Mohanlal Sukhadia, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Shiv Charan Mathur, Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot. In comparison, Bhajanlal Sharma is a light-weight candidate but definitely a good choice to make cadres believe that tireless party work can take them to the top.

A senior poll analyst says Sharma's selection is an indicator that experience doesn’t count. "But in a way it is denigrating the post of the chief minister which is not an insignificant position. How can one perform such a demanding job if one is not experienced?"

Giving fuel to the Opposition which has been alleging that the CM is a 'novice', the law and order situation has not improved in the state after the BJP took over in December 2023. One of the main planks of the saffron party during the assembly polls was the rising crime against women during the Congress regime. Even though the latest data reveals an overall minor decrease in crimes so far this year, offences such as rape and gang rapes, mainly of minors, have increased compared to the corresponding period last year. 

The handling of the recent Udaipur school stabbing incident has put question marks on Sharma's leadership abilities. 

Bureaucracy stays same

Some BJP insiders say Sharma has not been able to create a reliable team of his own. 

That no IAS officer of the Gehlot regime has been transferred till now tells a lot about how Sharma is settling in. Having got an upper hand on this issue, Gehlot took to X, tweeting at his acerbic best that "no shuffling of the IAS officers for the last eight months is an indication that appointments made during the Congress tenure were perfect and that all allegations against the officers made by the BJP were not only baseless but malicious".

Sources in the secretariat say that many officers are awaiting transfer and not making any major policy decisions, which is affecting governance. According to an estimate, at least 40 IAS, 55 IPS and 25 IFS officers are expecting a reshuffle, despite a rising demand for their transfer by BJP party workers and even some legislators. 

There is ambivalence on the ministerial front too. For instance, it is still unclear if influential tribal leader Dr Kirori Lal Meena is in the Cabinet. Though Meena says he resigned because the party lost Dausa and some other Lok Sabha seats, which he had promised to win for Modi, there is speculation that he is not happy with his portfolio and his seniority being ignored.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has been relentlessly attacking the 'parchiwali sarkar' (meaning that instructions come from Delhi). Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra has gone on record saying "there is no government functioning in Rajasthan". "Even ministers cannot vouch for getting any work done for the people as the party doesn't care for the promises they made to the people.” He even cautioned Sharma that if he didn't do his job, "someone else is waiting to sit on your chair".

Despite the Lok Sabha poll setback, Sharma has been able to hold on to his position. A senior political analyst says the strategy of keeping low-profile persons in high positions suits the BJP top bosses as it will prevent power centres or regional satraps from emerging. 

One party insider says Sharma is someone against whom nobody has any ill-feeling. He is likeable and emulates many habits of PM Modi. But ultimately people want jobs and safety to get on with their lives. 

Promises and projects

On the job front, the government has promised 70,000 openings for youths in a year. On the issue of paper leaks, although a SIT has been formed and more than 100 people arrested, there have been at least three instances of leaks after Sharma came to power.

On the industrial front, the Rising Rajasthan event slated for December 2024 to attract investment is being organised in the first year of the government. And a review of the new districts created just before the elections by the Gehlot government is seen as a welcome move because of financial implications.

Rising from roots

Sharma, a native of Bharatpur district, has been an activist from his early days. He had taken part in ABVP's Kashmir March in 1990 and courted arrest in Udhampur. He was also jailed during the Ram Janambhoomi movement in 1992. 

Having a degree in political science from Rajasthan University, he joined the BJP’s youth wing and later worked in various capacities such as BJP district unit president, general secretary and others. 

Considered close to BJP president J P Nadda, Sharma is known as a dedicated worker on the ground, toiling behind the scene silently. 

Although BJP leaders swear by his commitment, Sharma's leadership abilities will face a litmus test during upcoming by-elections to six assembly seats. Many are, however, willing to give him a long rope, saying it is too early to assess.