Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023: What we know of the several CMs in the state
Rajasthan has had 14 chief ministers since 1949, with Heera Lal Shastri serving as the first, who assumed the office on 7 April, 1949, before the first elections in 1952.
Rajasthan was headed by Congress veteran Mohan Lal Sukhadia throughout the majority of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and his total tenure of 17 years remains the longest of any CM in the state.
In 1971, Sukhadia was replaced by Barkatuallah Khan, who remains the only Muslim chief minister of Rajasthan. Khan, however, passed away in 1973, Hari Dev Joshi was given the post.
From 1977 to 1980, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat of Janata Party led the state's first non-Congress government, which was deposed by a resurgent Congress after Indira returned to power in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections.
The 68-year-old Bhairon Singh Shekhawat became the oldest person to govern the state when he took charge on 4 December, 1993.
In 1980, Jagannath Pahadia became the first Dalit CM of Rajasthan, only to face dissatisfaction of the MLAs and transfer the reign to Shiv Charan Mathur, followed by Hira Lal Devpura and Hari Dev Joshi.
From 1990 to 1998 Bhairon Singh Shekhawat led the BJP in the state and served two terms as chief minister.
Ashok Gehlot became chief minister for the first time in 1998. Since then, the post has been either held by him or BJP’s Vasundhara Raje.
Ashok Gehlot has been CM three times, whereas Vasundhara Raje has been CM twice.