Congress has stopped referring to Bhajanlal’s government as a ‘slip government’ in media.
New Delhi: The succes of Rising Rajasthan and the result of by-elections in the state have given the chief minister of Rajasthan Bhajanlal Sharma’s leadership an edge. He has been able to prove his mettle before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bhajanlal Sharma is steadily proving himself worthy of the high command’s trust.
Recognizing Sharma’s decisive leadership, even Congress has stopped referring to his government as a “slip government” in media and begun to seriously challenge his decisions. Last year, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah made the surprising move of sidelining senior leaders to appoint Sharma as CM, a decision that initially raised many questions. However, the narrative has since changed. Doubts have disappeared, and Sharma is carving out a distinct identity through his demeanor and firm decisions.
In one year Sharma has shed the tag of being the least experienced leader as his governance style and decisive actions are gradually posing a challenge to his predecessors. Internally, he has shown his strength to party rivals, while signalling to the opposition that he is not to be underestimated. Consequently, keeping the Congress on their toes.
In the first six months of assuming his role as CM, Sharma primarily dealt with challenges from within and outside his party. Not only the Opposition, but after the Lok Sabha election results, it seemed Sharma was cornered both internally and externally.
Sharma’s landmark decision to launch the Rising Rajasthan initiative during his first year attracted domestic and international investors, with PM Modi himself attending the event to show his support. The message was clear: Sharma is here to stay. This was a major blow to his internal opponents. Two days later, PM Modi attended the government’s first anniversary event in Jaipur, further reinforcing Sharma’s position. During the event, Modi laid the foundation for a historic river-linking project connecting the Parvati, Kali Sindh, and Chambal rivers—a major milestone in Sharma’s first term.
This project, which aims to provide clean drinking water across the state, has bolstered PM Modi’s Har Ghar Jal Mission and inspired similar initiatives in other states, including Uttar Pradesh.
Sharma’s bold decision to dissolve nine districts and three divisions further cemented his reputation. The opposition, initially taken aback, struggled to capitalize on the issue as it failed to generate significant public outcry. Congress did not anticipate such a decisive move from Sharma, but his action sent a clear message: Any flawed decisions from Congress’s tenure would be overturned. Starting with the districts, Sharma soon targeted English-medium schools established under the Mahatma Gandhi name during the previous Congress government.
Education Minister Madan Dilawar accused the Congress of deceiving parents under the guise of promoting English education, stating that the initiative involved widespread corruption. The government has announced a review of these schools, sparking sharp criticism from former CM Ashok Gehlot, who called the decision politically motivated.
By overturning key Congress policies, CM Sharma is heading forwards to what experts call a thoughtful and strategic decision-maker—a positive sign for the BJP high command.