12 Rajasthan MLAs hold meeting, urge CM Gehlot to fill vacant posts of Gram Sevaks, Patwaris

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 23 (ANI): Amid the reports of lobbying for ministerial posts in the Rajasthan government, 12 out of 13 Independent MLAs who supported the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government during last year's political crisis held a meeting a hotel in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Sirohi legislator Sanyam Lodha said the meeting was to urge the government to fill vacant posts of Gram Sevaks and Patwaris to improve governance on the ground level.
"This meeting of Independent MLAs urges government to fill vacant posts of Gram Sevaks and Patwaris to improve governance and demands to initiate the process of regularising contract workers. We congratulated Chief Minister Gehlot for the handling of the COVID pandemic and reposed our faith in his leadership," said Lodha.
When asked if there were discussions about Cabinet expansion in the meeting, the Sirohi legislator said, "It is the prerogative of the chief minister to decide when the Cabinet should be expanded and who should be included. It is not in the interests of the people of the state to create pressure and seek a deadline for it (Cabinet expansion)."
The MLAs who participated in today's meeting included-- Sanym Lodha, Ramkesh Meena, Ramila Khadiya, Suresh Tank, Khushveer Singh, Mahadeo Singh Khandela, Om Prakash Hudla, Ramkumar Gaur, Kanti Chand Meena, Lakshaman Meena, Alok Beniwal, Babulal Nagar.
Amid murmurs of an ongoing tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, reports have emerged about bargaining for a number of positions in the cabinet, boards and corporation.
However, on June 16, senior party MLA and former state Assembly Speaker and Depender Singh Shekhawat rubbished the reports and said, "These reports of a bargain going on for a number of positions in the cabinet, boards and corporation are absolutely false. Sachin Pilot and all of us have been striving to seek honour and self-respect for the grassroots Congress workers in Rajasthan."
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra had on Saturday said that a Cabinet reshuffle will soon take place in the state and asserted there is no problem within the party's state unit.
There has been a prolonged tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot after, in July last year, Pilot had rebelled against Ashok Gehlot and accompanied by MLAs who supported him had camped in Haryana.
Pilot finally announced his return to Rajasthan after the Gandhi family intervened and reportedly assured him that his grievances would be addressed. A committee was also set up under Ajay Maken to look into the issues raised by Pilot and his camp. (ANI)