New Delhi: Bureaucrat-turned-politician Arjun Ram Meghwal changed Kiren Rijiju because the Minister of Regulation and Justice Thursday.
For Meghwal, who can also be the minister of state for tradition and parliamentary affairs, it has been a protracted journey — from qualifying for the state administrative companies and being promoted to the Indian Administrative Providers (IAS) to driving his bicycle to Parliament throughout his first stint as a Lok Sabha member in 2009 and occurring to develop into the Union regulation minister.
However with Rajasthan elections to be held later this 12 months, his elevation is being seen because the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s (BJP) try at caste balancing — Meghwal is from the Dalit weaver neighborhood.
Rajasthan BJP normal secretary Madan Dilawar advised ThePrint over the telephone that it wasn’t simply his Dalit background that earned Meghwal a spot in Rajasthan politics. “He is aware of each district equipment since he was within the state administrative companies,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, Dilawar added: “Whereas he has affect over Dalit voters, his easy nature and willingness to assist have earned him respect…Actually, then chief minister Vasundhara Raje bought him the ticket for 2009 Lok Sabha elections whereas Rajendra Rathore, the present Chief of the Opposition within the meeting, advisable him.”
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Lengthy companies profession
Born in Bikaner, Meghwal married on the age of 13. However he continued to check at the same time as he labored alongside his father as a weaver. He graduated in regulation and in addition earned his grasp’s diploma from Dungar School in Bikaner.
Whereas getting ready for aggressive examinations, Meghwal discovered a phone operator’s job on the Indian Publish and Telegraph Division. His first brush with politics was being elected the final secretary of the phone visitors affiliation. Working there, he cleared the Rajasthan Administrative Service examination in his second try, a Rajasthan BJP chief advised ThePrint.
He held a number of positions throughout his state service within the trade division — a notable one being the officer on particular obligation (OSD) to then state deputy chief minister Harishankar Bhabhra in 1994. He additionally served because the Churu district collector after his promotion to the IAS in 1999,.
After taking voluntary retirement from companies, Meghwal fought his first Lok Sabha election from Bikaner in 2009, the chief added. He continued to win from his constituency until 2019, the 12 months he defeated his cousin and Congress candidate Madan Gopal Meghwal by 2.64 lakh votes.
After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP made him the chief whip, the BJP chief advised ThePrint. Meghwal was inducted as minister of state for finance and company affairs in Arun Jaitley’s crew. However, celebration sources say, he by no means turned an influence centre, by no means rubbed his seniors the incorrect approach.
That’s additionally how he labored with Uma Bharti within the water assets ministry as her deputy in 2016-18.
Throughout his stint because the junior parliamentary affairs minister, Meghwal’s work was lauded by the PM a number of occasions throughout celebration conferences, BJP sources mentioned.
Inside the celebration, Amit Shah first made him in-charge of Puducherry in 2021 the place Meghwal helped the BJP, as part of the NDA alliance, come to energy. Nonetheless, his position bought greater within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he was made co-incharge of UP together with Dharmedra Pradhan and 5 different leaders. From Agra to the Dalit belt of UP, Meghwal was instrumental in mobilising Dalits for the celebration, holding sammelans and reaching out to native Dalit leaders.
Dalits in Rajasthan
Out of the 200 meeting seats in Rajasthan, 33 are reserved. With 17.5 per cent inhabitants, in line with the 2011 census, Dalits kind a vital vote financial institution within the state.
A state BJP MP mentioned to ThePrint, “The celebration has stored Meghwal within the Cupboard to cater to the Dalit neighborhood, notably Bairwas or Meghwals who’re historically Congress voters.
“Amongst Dalits, the Koli neighborhood votes for the BJP. Amongst Khatiks and Valmikis, the vote is break up 50-50 between the BJP and the Congress…The Congress had a seasoned Dalit chief in former state CM Jagannath Pahadia (Pahadia died of Covid in 2021)….”
“Within the just lately concluded Karnataka elections, the BJP misplaced all tribal seats, and a sizeable variety of Dalit seats, so that is an effort to appease the Dalits earlier than Rajasthan elections,” he mentioned.
One other former state minister and Rajasthan MP mentioned to ThePrint over the telephone, “Though Meghwal doesn’t have a base among the many plenty within the state, his nature, his bond with Amit Shah and PM Modi, and his prior administrative expertise contributed to his elevation which additionally has a symbolic worth.”
He added, “Kailash Meghwal is probably the most outstanding within the state management and has a wider attraction however since he’s a Vasundhara loyalist, the celebration has propped one other Meghwal.”
“Arjun Ram Meghwal gained the final two elections on PM Modi’s title…even state chief Nihal Chand, who was eliminated within the Cupboard enlargement through the first NDA authorities, has extra affect than Meghwal…this goes to point out his elevation is symbolic.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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