JAIPUR: The BJP legislator from Malviya Nagar
constituency
, Kalicharan Saraf, was on Monday sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the state Assembly. He was administered the
oath
of office and secrecy by Governor Kalraj Mishra. Saraf will administer the oath of
assembly
membership to all elected MLAs when the Assembly session is convened.
A panel of three senior MLAs-Dayaram Parmar, Pratap Singh Singhvi and Kirori Lal Meena-has been formed to assist Saraf, according to a release from the Raj Bhawan.
Saraf, who has been winning the Malviya Nagar seat since it came into existence in 2008, also served as the cabinet
minister
during former
CM
Vasundhara Raje's tenures of 2003-2008 and 2013-2018.
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma was present at Saraf's swearing-in ceremony and held a brief interaction with the Governor on the sidelines of the ceremony.
BJP sources said the names of 15 MLAs have been finalised at a high-level meeting held in Delhi on Sunday for the post of ministers. It was also decided that they will be sworn in this week and that the first Assembly session may be held next week, they said.
"The CM's meeting with the Governor was meant to make a formal request for his time for the oath ceremony for the ministers. The ceremony will be held at the Governor's House," said a BJP insider.
Earlier in the day, the CM and his two deputies, Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa, met with Union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi. "The CM requested Gadkari's cooperation in completing the pending road projects in the state that were delayed due to the Congress government," said an official. Gadkari had said during his poll rallies in the state that many of his ministry's projects in the state were delayed by the Congress government.
Later in the day, ex-CM Ashok Gehlot also met with the Governor. Gehlot posted a photograph of himself with the Governor on X with a message that he discussed "important matters related to the state with the Governor".
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