Meet Bhajanlal Sharma, BJP's surprise pick for Rajasthan CM post
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday named Bhajanlal Sharma as the new chief minister of Rajasthan. The announcement came over a week after the party registered a landslide victory in the assembly elections—dethroning Ashok Gehlot's Congress government. Sharma's name came as a surprise from the BJP as he was not among the reported top CM probables. However, it was widely expected that the saffron party would give a chance to a new face over veterans like Vasundhara Raje.
Sharma chosen after BJP's legislative party meeting
A first-time MLA, Sharma has been appointed to the top post in Rajasthan after the final decision was made during the BJP's legislative party meeting in Jaipur. Former chief minister Raje reportedly proposed his name, which was accepted by party MLAs. The legislative meeting took place on Tuesday afternoon at the party's state headquarters, presided over by central observers Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawde, and Saroj Pandey.
Sharma's background, association with ABVP
Sharma, an upper-caste Brahmin leader, was elected from the Sanganer Assembly constituency in Jaipur in the recent assembly elections. He is among the longest-serving general secretaries of the BJP in Rajasthan, having served in the position four times. Sharma has also been associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Sharma defeated Congress candidate by over 48,000 votes
Though Sharma hails from Bharatpur, he was not given a ticket from there as the BJP reportedly did not consider it a winnable seat. He eventually defeated the Congress's Pushpendra Bhardwaj by a margin of 48,081 votes. To recall, the BJP won 115 of 199 seats that went to polls in Rajasthan last month; polling was deferred for one seat over a candidate's demise. It is one of three states where the party emerged victorious in the recent elections.
Sharma owns assets worth Rs. 1.5cr
According to his election affidavit, accessed by My Neta, Sharma has declared his income sources as Shri Krishna Kanhaiya & Company and salary from the Ministry of Railways. His total assets amount to nearly Rs. 1.5 crore, including Rs. 43.6 lakh in moveable and Rs. 1 crore in immovable assets. His liabilities stand at around Rs. 35 lakh. Son of Kishan Swaroop Sharma, the CM-designate secured a Master of Arts (MA) degree in politics from Rajasthan University, Jaipur, in 1993.
Who were top contenders for CM post
Previously, several names have emerged as potential contenders for Rajasthan's top post, including Raje and Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Ashwini Vaishnaw. Separately, the BJP also announced the CMs of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh over the last two days. OBC leader Mohan Yadav and tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai were appointed in these states, respectively. Similar to its Rajasthan move, the saffron party went with new chief ministerial faces in MP and Chhattisgarh as well.
