The BJP leadership had sprung a surprise in Rajasthan following the party’s victory in the Assembly elections in December 2023, when it picked its first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister. This was done in a state whose politics has traditionally been dominated by high-profile political heavyweights from both the BJP and the Congress.After two-year-three-month at the helm, the Sharma dispensation has continued to be seen in state political circles, including sections within the BJP, as “inexperienced” and “dependent too much on bureaucracy”. Some BJP legislators such as Shankar Singh Rawat and Gopal Sharma have accused the government of relying on bureaucrats while ignoring them and party workers.Before taking over as the CM, Sharma was known in BJP circles as just an organisation man who had never handled any administrative position.However, unlike the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, the Sharma government has not faced any major rows or corruption charges.During its 2018-23 tenure, the Gehlot government had been plagued by various scandals and controversies, including repeated paper leaks in various government recruitment exams, an alleged Rs 2,000 crore scam involving the state mid-day meal scheme, and a purported “red diary” with records of its “misdeeds”.Stalwarts’ shadowSharma, 59, has been bracing to fill big shoes of his BJP predecessors, including two-time CM Vasundhara Raje and three-time CM late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (three terms), who had formidable political influence and mass support base while having command over the party in the state. Even three-term CM Gehlot also called the shots in the state administration as well as the Congress unit during his tenure.Sharma’s approach is seen by several state BJP leaders as “low-key and lacklustre”. “There is a leadership image in people’s minds in Rajasthan, which was created by Shekhawat, Raje and Gehlot, who used to wield their influence and power. But that political dominance by the leader at the helmStory continues below this adseems to be missing now, with the state being still run by the BJP high command and the bureaucrats,” said a senior party leader from the state, adding that this led to some discontent among a section of the BJP leaders and workers.Last November, then chief secretary Sudhansh Pant was recalled by the BJP-led central government and posted as a secretary in the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which stirred up political circles as Pant, with his administrative skills and goodwill with the Centre, was seen as a key link between the BJP dispensation in Delhi and Jaipur. Pant’s central deputation, months before his retirement, was attributed to the Sharma government’s bid to create a “perception that the CMO (Chief Minister’s Office) is calling the shots, not the chief secretary”, according to sources.A BJP insider said the “lack of political leadership” in the state dispensation has “delayed” the long-pending cabinet reshuffle. In an interview with The Indian Express in August, state BJP president Madan Rathore had said that the cabinet reshuffle would “happen soon”. Both the party’s Deputy CMs Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa have been allotted several crucialportfolios. While Kumari has been handling Finance, Public Works and Tourism, Bairwa remains in charge of Higher Education, Road Transport and Highways, Technical Education and Ayurveda/Yoga/Naturopathy. During their regimes, both Raje and Gehlot had held Finance portfolio and presented the state budgets.Story continues below this adGehlot, Pilot tussleWhile the principal Opposition Congress has been trying to project itself as a “cohesive unit up in arms against the BJP government”, the protracted game of one-upmanship between Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot does not seem to be over yet.In the wake of the Congress’s defeat in the 2023 elections, the power tussle between Gehlot and Pilot appeared to have cooled down. However, party sources said their rift would surface again as the 2028 Assembly polls draw closer.Gehlot, who had taken up the All India Congress Committee (AICC)’s organisational responsibilities after the party’s Assembly poll debacles in the past, has been focusing on state politics this time. After the Congress’s 2004 loss, he was appointed the AICC general secretary in charge of Delhi and the Seva Dal. In 2017, he was entrusted with the charge of the party’s electioneering in the Gujarat elections.“Now, Gehlot is deeply involved with local issues in an attempt to remain a dominant power centre in the state Congress,” said some state observers.Story continues below this adHowever, Pilot, the AICC general secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh, has also been consolidating his position as the party’s key young face calling for reforms and generational shift in the party. He has now been appointed as the AICC’s senior observer in Kerala for the April Assembly polls.