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Shekhawat emulates Sukhadia, becomes second
Rajasthan CM to complete term

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is the second chief minister of Rajasthan after the late Mohanlal Sukhadia to hold on to the reins for a full term of five years.

Sukhadia had accomplished the feat twice in succession during his 17 years as chief minister.

Shekhawat became chief minister thrice, but on the earlier two occasions his government was dismissed prematurely.

Several other leaders -- Jai Narain Vyas, Barkatullah Khan, Harideo Joshi, and Shiv Charan Mathur -- became chief minister on more than one occasion, but failed to complete their terms.

Sukhadia held the post of chief minister for the longest duration, from 1954 to 1971. Another Congressman, Heeralal Deopura, had the shortest tenure of 16 days, from February 23 to March 10, 1985.

Heeralal Shastri was the first chief minister of Rajasthan. He took the oath of office on April 7, 1949, and remained in office till his resignation on January 5, 1951, following dissidence in the party.

An Indian Civil Service officer, C S Ventachari, took over on January 5, 1951, but relinquished charge a few months later, on April 26, 1951.

Jai Narain Vyas then took over. He remained in office till March 3, 1952, when he quit following his defeat in the first general election.

Tikaram Paliwal thus became chief minister on March 3, 1952. He handed charge back to Vyas on October 10, 1952, after Vyas entered the assembly by winning a by-election from Kishangarh in Ajmer district.

But trouble again confronted Vyas. He faced a tough challenge from within his legislature party. In the first-ever trial of strength in the state, Sukhadia was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

Sukhadia was sworn in on November 13, 1954, for the first time. He again took the chief minister's oath in 1957, 1962, and 1967, and ruled the state for a total of 17 years. His first and fourth terms were incomplete.

In 1971, Indira Gandhi sent Sukhadia off to the erstwhile Mysore state as governor.

Barkatullah Khan succeeded Sukhadia from July 9, 1971, to March 15, 1972, and from March 16, 1972, to November 11, 1972.

After Khan's death in office, Harideo Joshi was sworn in and held the post thrice, from October 11, 1973, to April 29, 1977, from March 10, 1985, to January 20, 1988, and from December 4, 1989, to January 20, 1990.

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat became the state's first non-Congress chief minister on June 22, 1977, and remained in office till February 16, 1980, when he was dismissed.

He became chief minister again on March 4, 1990, only to be dismissed again on December 15, 1992, in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.

He was sworn in for the third time on December 4, 1993.

UNI

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