Rajasthan BJP govt. dissolves nine districts formed under Congress regime

Rajasthan BJP government dissolves districts created by Congress, sparking political controversy and opposition protests.

In a politically contested move, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan on Saturday (December 28, 2024) dissolved nine of the 17 districts as well as three divisions created in 2023 during the previous Congress regime. The decision was taken at a State Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma here.

The desert State will now have a total of 41 districts and seven divisions. The three divisions that were annulled are Pali, Sikar and Banswara. The State government retained eight districts in view of “administrative necessity”.

It also rejected the formation of three new districts (in addition to the 17) ahead of the 2023 Assembly election, as no Gazette notification was issued for them.

“The new districts and divisions were created with an eye on political gain… The Congress government ignored key factors such as financial resources, population density, geographical area and administrative requirements. Several districts did not even have six tehsils,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said after the Cabinet meeting.

The Opposition Congress condemned the decision, saying it was an act of “imprudence and political vendetta”. Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said the party would launch a massive agitation from January 1, after the conclusion of the week-long State mourning [following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh], with the demand for restoration of new districts. He described the decision as anti-people and undemocratic.

The districts that have been abolished are Dudu, Kekri, Shahpura, Neem Ka Thana, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Anupgarh and Sanchore. The districts that have been retained are Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Phalodi and Salumbar.

Mr. Patel said the office buildings, administrative infrastructure and officials’ posts were yet to be created in the new districts despite the lapse of more than a year. “Attempts to establish 18 departmental posts in these districts have turned out be extremely burdensome… It is evident that the Congress wanted to reap political benefits,” he said.