Ashok Gehlot walks the extra mile to please rebel legislators

JAIPUR: Ever since former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot revolted against Ashok Gehlot for allegedly neglecting him, the chief minister has been striving hard to prove him wrong.
Even while announcing the setting up of new colleges a few days ago, Gehlot tried to prove that constituencies of rebel MLAs also got a fair share of them.
In order to woo the Gujjars, the chief minister extended the five per cent More Backward Classes (MBC) reservation in the state judicial services by amending the Rajasthan Judicial Service Rules, 2010.
Another area which the chief minister has been focusing on is the tribal areas of south Rajasthan, the stronghold of the Bharatiya Tribal party (BTP). The support of the two MLAs of the BTP party are crucial to the survival of the government.
In the 2019-20 budget, the chief minister’s office had announced seven colleges, while in the 2020-21 budget he sanctioned the setting up of another five.
“Some of the MLAs in the rebel camp have alleged that they were neglected in development. That is the reason they are demanding a change in leadership. But that is wrong,” claimed an official in the CMO.
The new colleges announced in the budget in 2019-20 include government colleges in Virat Nagar, the constituency of Indra Gujjar, in Bandikui (Dausa), the constituency of G R Khatana, in Prabatsar (Nagaur), the seat represented by Ramniwas Gawdiya, in Neeka Thana (Sikar), constituency of Suresh Modi, in Chaksu (Jaipur) where Ved Prakash Solanki is the MLA, in Dhorimana under Gudmalani assembly segment represented by Hemram Chaudhary and another in Mandrayal under Sapotra seat of Ramesh Meena.
Similarly, In the 2020-21 budget five more colleges were announced in their areas. These are in Bhinai, Masuda (Ajmer) where Rakesh Pareek is the MLA, Roopwas Bayana (Bharatpur) where Amar Singh is the legislator, in Nangal Rajawatan (Dausa), the constituency of Murarilal Meena, in Kotkhawda under Chaksu where Ved Prakash Solanki is the MLA and in Bayana where Amar Singh is the elected legislator.