Kirodi Lal Meena keeps his word, submits resignation as minister over BJP's poor performance

Jaipur: Rajasthan minister Kirodi Lal Meena, who had said he will quit the state Cabinet if the BJP loses any Lok Sabha seat under his responsibility, has submitted his resignation but it is yet to be accepted.

Meena -- who holds multiple portfolios including agriculture, rural development, disaster management and relief minister -- said the party high command has called him to Delhi on Friday and he would explain to them why he put in his papers.

The 72-year-old said he has no expectations, or resentment with the organisation or Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

Meena said he has submitted his papers due to his public vow that he will resign if the party loses LS any seat under his responsibility.

During the recently held elections, he had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned him seven seats in eastern Rajasthan on which he worked hard during the polls.

In the Lok Sabha poll results announced on June 4, the BJP lost four seats, including his native Dausa, in eastern Rajasthan. Overall the BJP won 14 of the state's 25 seats, its tally coming down from 24 in the 2019 polls.

"The party high command has called me to Delhi tomorrow, I will go and satisfy them (on my decision). I could not make the party win. I had said if the party does not win, I will resign," he told reporters here.

"It is my moral responsibility to resign. I met the chief minister but he rejected my resignation... my credibility among the people should remain intact, I have resigned," he said.

When asked whether he was unhappy with the party for not making him a deputy CM, Meena said no "If I was dissatisfied, I would have resigned immediately after taking oath. I have no complaint against the organisation or the chief minister, neither do I have any complaints nor am I greedy for power. I did not resign because of the post. I resigned because I stand by what I said about my failure to get the party win seats," he said.

Earlier, Meena posted on X, "Raghukul reeti sada chali aai, pran jaai par vachan na jaai' to underline his unwavering intent to keep his promise at any cost.

रघुकुल रीति सदा चलि आई।
प्राण जाई पर बचन न जाई।।

(श्रीरामचरितमानस)

— Dr.Kirodi Lal Meena (@DrKirodilalBJP) July 4, 2024

Meena campaigned on eastern Rajasthan seats including Dausa, Bharatpur, Karauli- Dholpur, Alwar, Tonk-Sawaimadhopur and Kota-Bundi.

In the results declared last month, the BJP lost Dausa, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.

He was also in the race for chief minister's post after the results of the assembly elections were announced in December last year, but the party high command picked first-time MLA Bhajanlal Sharma to lead the state.

Kirodi Meena, who is a five-time MLA and a former Rajya Sabha MP, has been a Lok Sabha MP from Dausa and Sawai Madhopur.