They say it right that the road to the top-notch cabinet and constitutional posts passes through the desert state of India. The recent nomination of M Venkaiah Naidu, a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, as the Vice President candidate has attested the claims. The far Western state of India has a history of close affiliation with the former president and vice president of India. Late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, formerly known as the ‘Lion of Rajasthan’ was the 11th vice-president of India. Shekhawat contested the 2007 presidential elections but lost to the ‘Shekhawati Bahu’ Pratibha Patil, a UPA candidate. Not many people know Patil was married in a Rajput family hailing from Sikar, Rajasthan.
Rajasthan’s tryst with power doesn’t end here. As of now, 25 Lok Sabha members, 10 Rajya Sabha members, and 5 ‘Ministers of State’ represent Rajasthan in the power corridor. Now, the biggest state of India has established a strong connection with the capital city.
The Chronology of Rajasthan’s Connection with Plum Constitution Posts…
Many have traveled on the route from Rajasthan to the Parliament and the Governor Houses. VP Singh, the current governor of Punjab, was an eloquent RS MP from Rajasthan. Same happened with BJP leader Sundar Singh Bhandari, who was the former governor of Bihar and Gujarat. Even Najma Heptulla, a Rajya Sabha member, handled the union ministry of Minority Affairs, following which she was elected the Governor of Manipur.
Several ministers from BJP and Congress, two of the biggest political parties in India, have held important portfolios in the central ministry.
Famous lawyer Ram Jethmalani held the ‘Law, Justice and Company Affairs’ portfolio under Vajpayee government. Jaswant Singh, the former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India, joined politics under the guidance of Jaswant Singh. He became the External Affairs minister in the Vajpayee cabinet. Likewise, Santosh Bagrodia and Anand Sharma, the Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan held the portfolios for coal and commerce, industry & textile in former Manmohan Singh government.
At present, these ministers represent Rajasthan in Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
- Vijay Goel: Youth Affairs and Sports
- P. Chaudhary: Law, Justice, Electronics & Information Technology
- R. Chaudhary: Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
- Arjun Ram Meghwal: Finance and Corporate Affairs
- Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Information & Broadcasting
Now that Venkaiah Naidu has resigned, one Rajya Sabha seat in the Rajasthan quota fell vacant. Nevertheless, the list of prospective recruits is getting longer by the minute.
