Kirodi Lal Meena
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The stalemate over the resignation of Rajasthan Minister Kirodi Lal Meena from the State Cabinet is continuing with the BJP’s central leadership yet to take a decision on the acceptance of his papers. Despite the efforts of senior party leaders to convince him, Mr. Meena has so far refused to withdraw his resignation, and has stopped attending his office and using his official car.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who reached New Delhi on Monday evening, is likely to discuss the matter in his meeting with BJP national president J.P. Nadda. A veteran tribal leader, Mr. Meena had tendered his resignation earlier this month, taking responsibility for the BJP’s disappointing performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in the State and the defeat at four of the seven seats put under his charge.
Mr. Meena, 72, was in the reckoning for the Chief Minister’s post after the BJP’s victory in the 2023 State Assembly election, but the party high command selected first-time MLA Mr. Sharma for the position. The septuagenarian BJP leader said he had opted to step down as a Minister because of his public vow to resign.
Mr. Meena holds Agriculture, Rural Development, Disaster Management and Relief, and Public Grievances portfolios as the Cabinet Minister. His request to Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani seeking permission to remain absent during the ongoing Budget Session was approved with a voice vote in the House on July 12.
A five-time MLA, Mr. Meena is also a former Rajya Sabha Member and a former Lok Sabha Member from Sawai Madhopur. The BJP won 14 of Rajasthan’s 25 seats in the Lok Sabha election. The party’s candidates were defeated in Dausa, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in the results declared on June 4. Dausa is Mr. Meena’s native place.
In an apparent bid to placate Mr. Meena, the State Budget presented by Deputy CM Diya Kumari on July 10 has made the highest allocation of ₹96,000 crore to the Agriculture Department held by him. The major announcements made for the department included the launch of an integrated water grid mission, subsidy to farmers for construction of channels in the canal areas and the release of 1.45 lakh new agricultural power connections.
While Mr. Meena was conspicuous by his absence at the first BJP working committee meeting after the party’s victory in the Assembly election, held here on July 13, speculations were rife here that this was the last event organised under the leadership of BJP State president C.P. Joshi. Mr. Meena’s name has emerged among the contenders for the top position in a likely reshuffle, while other claimants are Prabhu Lal Saini, Rajendra Gehlot and Avinash Gehlot.
Mr. Meena’s appointment as the BJP State chief may help the party strengthen its position in the upcoming Assembly by-election at five seats, where the sitting MLAs have been elected to Lok Sabha. Three of these constituencies have a significant presence of tribal voters, who could be influenced through Mr. Meena. The BJP had lost all the five seats in the 2023 Assembly election.
