A day after the cabinet reshuffle, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot allotted portfolios, retaining the ministries of home and finance for himself.

The reshuffle seemed to have enough in terms of representation for formerdeputy CM Sachin Pilot to bury the hatchet with CM Ashok Gehlot.

“We have to fight the BJP together to win the 2023 elections. I am glad that the high command took note of various concerns in this cabinet revamp”. Mr Pilot’s assertion comes a year after his open rebellion against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had plunged the ruling party into a huge crisis.

” The step – taken by the party and the leadership after discussions – is sending a positive message across the state. We had raised the issue of equal representation time and again. I’m happy that the party, the high command, and the state government took note of it,” the 44-year-old Congress leader told reporters.

Four Dalit Ministers have been included in the new cabinet, he said, adding that “for a long time, there was no Dalit representation in our government.”

“Change is constant and more changes are expected in near future. With elections just 22 months away, we have to galvanize people, bring new people on board. The BJP’s policies have been rejected by the people. We have seen the Prime Minister withdrawing the farm laws… this indicates the huge political pressure,” he added.

State in-charge Ajay Maken, too, said that with the reshuffle, party workers should now aim to break the “tradition of the last few decades in 2023 and get the Congress party re-elected”.