There is no end to surprises with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the recently concluded Assembly Eelctions, they first surprised everyone by winning 163 seats in Madhya Pradesh. But if that was not enough, they won Chattisgarh as well, where no one gave them any chance. And after that, when it came to appointing the Chief Ministers for the states, BJP kept everyone hanging for a good more than a week.
Now that they finally decided to announce the Chief Ministers, there was one surprise after the other.
The unveiling of Chief Ministers brought about a cascade of surprises, with Vishnu Deo Sai taking the reins in Chattisgarh and Manoj Yadav assuming the top post in Madhya Pradesh. However, the most unexpected twist came with the announcement of Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, leaving political analysts and the public alike in disbelief.
Amid speculations surrounding prominent figures like Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Baba Balaknath, the relatively lesser-known Bhajan Lal Sharma emerged victorious.
The BJP’s legislative party in Rajasthan, boasting a majority with 115 out of 199 seats, elected Bhajan Lal Sharma as their Chief Minister. The state is set to witness a unique leadership structure with two deputy Chief Ministers, Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa.
Vasudev Devnani has been chosen by the BJP legislative party to assume the position of the new speaker in the Rajasthan assembly. The decision was made during a meeting where party leaders expressed their confidence in the new leadership team.
Who is Bhajan Lal Sharma?
Bhajan Lal Sharma, a first-time MLA from the Sanganer constituency, has been an integral part of the party, serving as the state general secretary four times. The 56-year-old, with a postgraduate background, clinched victory in the 2023 state polls by defeating Congress’s Pushpendra Bhardwaj with an impressive margin of 48,081 votes.
According to the affidavit filed with the Election Commission, Sharma’s total declared assets amount to Rs 1.5 crore, including Rs 43.6 lakh in movable assets and Rs 1 crore in immovable assets. His self-income stands at Rs 6.9 lakh out of the total declared income of Rs 11.1 lakh.
The appointment of Bhajan Lal Sharma reflects the BJP’s penchant for surprising choices, showcasing their ability to navigate the political landscape with unexpected moves.