Rajasthan CM Announces Formation of 19 New Districts and 3 Divisions; Opposition Party Criticizes Move as Political Stunt

Jaipur - Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the creation of 19 new districts and three new divisions - Sikar, Pali, and Banswara - in the state, in a move seen as a masterstroke in balancing both regional and political factors. By announcing a large number of districts simultaneously, Gehlot aims to reduce the impact of anti-incumbency while addressing demands for new divisions in areas far from existing headquarters.

Gehlot's announcement counters the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s temple agenda. The BJP has accused the Congress government of "breaking" temples and banning processions on Ram Navami. Gehlot announced several initiatives for the development of major temples and religious tourism in the state, including the allocation of Rs 100 crore for Beneshwar Dham and the formation of the Pushkar Development Authority for Tirtharaj Pushkar.

In addition, Gehlot announced the formation of the Veer Tejaji Board, an attempt to address the needs of the Jat community through social engineering before the upcoming elections.

However, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje criticized the announcements as attempts to fulfill personal political interests at the expense of Rajasthan's economic system. Raje claimed that the creation of new districts would lead to administrative complications, and accused Gehlot of politicizing the budget without considering the state's fiscal indicators.

Raje reminded the public of the Congress government's past actions, such as the paper leak scandal, the false promise of farmer loan waivers, and the deteriorating law and order situation.