Kirodi Lal Meena Resigns as Rajasthan Minister After BJP Loses Key Lok Sabha Seats

In a shocking turn of events, Kirodi Lal Meena, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a minister in the Rajasthan government, has resigned from his post. The resignation comes after the BJP's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the party lost several key seats in the state ¹. Meena, who held multiple portfolios including Agriculture, Rural Development, Disaster Management, and Relief, had promised to step down if the BJP lost any of the seven parliamentary seats under his responsibility. True to his word, Meena submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on June 20, which is yet to be accepted ². The BJP's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections was a significant setback for the party, which had won 24 out of 25 seats in the 2019 elections. This time around, the party managed to win only 14 seats, with the Congress party making significant gains. Meena's native seat of Dausa was one of the constituencies that the BJP lost, with the Congress candidate winning by a margin of over 2.3 lakh votes ². Meena's resignation is seen as a moral victory for the Congress party, which had been critical of the BJP's performance in the state. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Tika Ram Jully, welcomed Meena's resignation, saying that it was a failure of the government. "The resignation of Kirodi Lal Meena is a failure of this government. Kirodi Lal did what he had said... he had said 'praan jaaye par vachan na jaaye'. Why did he resign... he said the public is not satisfied with the policies of the government. Decisions are not being taken in the interest of people..." Jully said ³. Meena's resignation has also sparked speculation about the future of the BJP government in Rajasthan. With the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections and the resignation of a senior leader like Meena, there are questions about the stability of the government. However, the BJP has maintained that Meena's resignation is a personal decision and will not affect the government's functioning. In his resignation letter, Meena cited his inability to ensure the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha elections as the reason for his decision. "I had announced that if I can't ensure a win in LS seats, I will resign as a minister," Meena said. He also stated that he had no complaints or expectations from the party or the government ². Meena's resignation is a significant development in Rajasthan politics and is being seen as a sign of the BJP's weakening grip on the state. The party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections and the resignation of a senior leader like Meena have raised questions about the party's ability to govern the state effectively.