The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) caused a stir by naming 56-year-old Sanganer MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, following the unexpected selection of Dr. Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh as CM on the previous day.
Sharma, a newcomer to the legislative assembly, secured a significant victory with over 48,000 votes in the Rajasthan elections 2023 from the Sanganer seat, triumphing over rival Congress candidate Pushpendra Bhardwaj. He has served four times as the general secretary of the state BJP unit and hails from Bharatpur district, holding a master's degree in political science.
The newly-formed Rajasthan government will feature two Deputy Chief Ministers—Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa. Additionally, Union Minister and BJP observer Rajnath Singh announced Vasudev Devnani as the proposed Speaker of the newly elected assembly.
Diya Kumari, a member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, has earned recognition as a two-time MLA and one-time MP. Initially elected as an MLA in 2013 from the Sawai Madhopur assembly seat, she emerged as an MP from Rajsamand in 2019. Kumari is the daughter of the renowned Jaipur royal Sawai Bhawani Singh, celebrated for his role as a Lt Colonel and Commanding Officer in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war with the Para Commandos of the 10th Parachute Regiment.
Premchand Bairwa, declared as the Deputy Chief Minister alongside Kumari, represents the Dalit community within the BJP. The 54-year-old secured victory in the Dudu constituency during the November 25 Rajasthan assembly elections, defeating Congress' Babu Lal Nagar by a margin of 35,743 votes. Bairwa holds a PhD from the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur.
The decision to appoint Sharma as the Chief Minister was made during a meeting of the BJP's newly elected MLAs at the state headquarters, in the presence of BJP central observer Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with national vice president Saroj Pandey and national general secretary Vinod Tawde. The announcement was made by former Rajasthan CM and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, herself seen as a contender for the top post.
The BJP secured 115 out of the 199 seats in the polls, with the election for the Karanpur seat of Sriganganagar postponed due to the demise of the Congress candidate.
