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Chief Minister and Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers under Articles 163 to 167, the size limit for Rajasthan, every Chief Minister since 1949 with dates, the four spells of President's Rule, and the council as of 22 October 2026.

⏱ 6 min read✓ Facts checked 23 October 2026

Contents

At a glance

  1. Article 163: a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head aids and advises the Governor.
  2. Article 164(1A), added by the 91st Amendment (2003): at most 15% of the Assembly and at least 12. For Rajasthan's 200 seats that is 30 at most.
  3. The Council is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly (Article 164(2)); a Minister who is not a member of the Legislature for six consecutive months ceases to be a Minister (164(4)).
  4. Firsts: Hiralal Shastri, the first Chief Minister (1949); Tikaram Paliwal, the first elected one (1952); Vasundhara Raje, the first and only woman Chief Minister.
  5. President's Rule has come four times (1967, 1977, 1980, 1992-93); two of them followed Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's governments.

The Constitution: Articles 163 to 167

ArticleWhat it says
163(1)A Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head aids and advises the Governor, except where the Constitution requires him to act in his discretion
163(2) and (3)The Governor's decision on whether a matter is one for his discretion is final; what advice the Ministers gave cannot be inquired into in any court
164(1)The Governor appoints the Chief Minister; he appoints the other Ministers on the Chief Minister's advice; Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor
164(1A) and (1B)Council capped at 15% of the Assembly, minimum 12 (91st Amendment); a member disqualified under the Tenth Schedule cannot be made a Minister until his term as member would end or he is elected again
164(2)The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly
164(3)The Governor administers the oaths of office and of secrecy (forms in the Third Schedule)
164(4)A Minister who is not a member of the Legislature for six consecutive months ceases to be a Minister
164(5)Salaries and allowances are fixed by the State Legislature by law (until then, as in the Second Schedule)
165The Advocate-General (on the High Court page)
166All executive action of the State is expressed in the Governor's name; the Governor makes rules for the transaction and allocation of government business
167The Chief Minister must tell the Governor all Council decisions on administration and proposals for legislation, give any information he calls for, and, if he requires, put before the Council a matter decided by one Minister alone

Size of the Council in Rajasthan

RuleArticle 164(1A): not more than 15% of the Assembly's members and not fewer than 12, the Chief Minister counted
Added byConstitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act, 2003, in force from 1 January 2004
Assembly200 seats (since the Sixth House, 1977)
Rajasthan maximum15% of 200 = 30
Rajasthan minimum12

The Chief Minister and Council now

As of 22 October 2026 the Chief Minister is Bhajan Lal Sharma, MLA from Sanganer, sworn in on 15 December 2023. His party, the BJP, holds 118 of the 200 seats in the Sixteenth Assembly (it won 115 in the 2023 election; by-elections since have changed the count).

Council on 22 Oct 202624 members including the Chief Minister
Deputy Chief Ministers2: Diya Kumari, Dr. Premchand Bairwa
Cabinet Ministers12
State Ministers (Independent Charge)4
State Ministers5
Women2: Diya Kumari and Dr. Manju Baghmar (State Minister)
Room under the cap6 below the maximum of 30

The same 24 names, with the same two women, were on the government's list of ministers in 2024. The council changes with every reshuffle.

Chief Ministers of Rajasthan since 1949

Chief MinisterTerms
Hiralal Shastri7 Apr 1949 – 5 Jan 1951
C.S. Venkatachari6 Jan 1951 – 25 Apr 1951
Jai Narayan Vyas26 Apr 1951 – 3 Mar 1952; 1 Nov 1952 – 12 Nov 1954
Tikaram Paliwal3 Mar 1952 – 31 Oct 1952
Mohan Lal Sukhadia13 Nov 1954 – 11 Apr 1957; 11 Apr 1957 – 11 Mar 1962; 12 Mar 1962 – 13 Mar 1967; 26 Apr 1967 – 9 Jul 1971
Barkatullah Khan9 Jul 1971 – 11 Oct 1973
Hari Dev Joshi11 Oct 1973 – 29 Apr 1977; 10 Mar 1985 – 20 Jan 1988; 4 Dec 1989 – 4 Mar 1990
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat22 Jun 1977 – 16 Feb 1980; 4 Mar 1990 – 15 Dec 1992; 4 Dec 1993 – 1 Dec 1998
Jagannath Pahadia6 Jun 1980 – 13 Jul 1981
Shiv Charan Mathur14 Jul 1981 – 23 Feb 1985; 20 Jan 1988 – 4 Dec 1989
Hiralal Devpura23 Feb 1985 – 10 Mar 1985
Ashok Gehlot1 Dec 1998 – 8 Dec 2003; 13 Dec 2008 – 13 Dec 2013; 17 Dec 2018 – 15 Dec 2023
Vasundhara Raje8 Dec 2003 – 13 Dec 2008; 13 Dec 2013 – 17 Dec 2018
Bhajan Lal Sharma15 Dec 2023 – in office (22 Oct 2026)
  • Hiralal Shastri took office on 7 April 1949 as Premier of Greater Rajasthan; the post was called Chief Minister from 26 January 1950.
  • Hiralal Shastri, C.S. Venkatachari and Jai Narayan Vyas (first term) held office before the first general election of 1952.
  • Barkatullah Khan was the sixth Chief Minister; Jagannath Pahadia, the ninth, was the first from a Scheduled Caste.
  • Hiralal Devpura took over when Shiv Charan Mathur resigned in 1985, and was Speaker from 20 March 1985, after Hari Dev Joshi became Chief Minister.
  • Three terms each: Hari Dev Joshi, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Ashok Gehlot. Four: Mohan Lal Sukhadia.

President's Rule in Rajasthan

PeriodBetween
13 Mar 1967 – 26 Apr 1967Sukhadia's third and fourth terms, after the 1967 election
30 Apr 1977 – 21 Jun 1977Hari Dev Joshi's first term and Shekhawat's first
17 Feb 1980 – 5 Jun 1980Shekhawat's first term and Jagannath Pahadia
15 Dec 1992 – 3 Dec 1993Shekhawat's second and third terms

Remember: often mixed up

  • Maximum and minimum15% of the Assembly is the ceiling (30 for Rajasthan) and 12 is the floor, whatever the size of the House.
  • Who appoints whomthe Governor appoints the Chief Minister; the other Ministers are appointed on the Chief Minister's advice; all hold office during the Governor's pleasure.
  • Responsible to whomthe Council is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly, not to the Governor.
  • Article 163 and 164163 creates the Council and the advice rule; 164 deals with appointment, size, responsibility, oath, six-month rule and pay.
  • Chief Minister's duty to the Governor: Article 167, not 166 (166 is about conduct of business in the Governor's name).
  • Longest and shortestSukhadia, about 17 years over four terms; Devpura, 16 days in 1985 (not Barkatullah Khan, who had over two years).

Test yourself: asked in exams

RAS Prelims 2023 · Q25

Which of the following statement is not correct regarding the Chief Minister of Rajasthan ?

  1. (1)Mohanlal Sukhadia took oath as Chief Minister four times.
  2. (2)The Chief Minister at the time of Emergency of 1975 was Haridev Joshi.
  3. (3)Barkatullah Khan remained the Chief Minister for the shortest period.
  4. (4)C.S. Venkatachari was not the elected Chief Minister.
Show answer

✓ (3) Barkatullah Khan remained the Chief Minister for the shortest period.

See the full paper

RAS Prelims 2023 · Q26

What can be the minimum strength of Rajasthan's Council of Ministers ?

  1. (1)12
  2. (2)10
  3. (3)08
  4. (4)05
Show answer

✓ (1) 12

See the full paper

RAS Prelims 2024 · Q25

Which of the following Chief Minister faced President's Rule in Rajasthan for maximum number of times ?

  1. (1)HariDev Joshi
  2. (2)Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
  3. (3)JaiNarayan Vyas
  4. (4)ShivCharan Mathur
Show answer

✓ (2) Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

See the full paper

RAS Prelims 2024 · Q26

As of the end of the November 2024, how many women were there in the Rajasthan Council of Ministers ?

  1. (1)Only 1
  2. (2)Only 2
  3. (3)Only 3
  4. (4)Only 5
Show answer

✓ (2) Only 2

See the full paper

Protection Officer 2022 · Q24

Consider the following statements : I. According to Article 163 there shall be Council of Ministers to aid and advice the Governor. II. According Article 164(1) the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor. III. According Article 164(1), the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor. Select the correct answer using the code. Code :

  1. (1)Only I is correct.
  2. (2)Only II is correct.
  3. (3)Only I and III are correct.
  4. (4)I, II and III all are correct.
Show answer

✓ (4) I, II and III all are correct.

See the full paper

CET Graduation Level 2022 · Q70

President’s rule was imposed for the maximum number of times during the tenure of which of the following Chief Minister of Rajasthan?

  1. (1)Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
  2. (2)Mohan Lal Sukhadia
  3. (3)Haridev Joshi
  4. (4)Shiv Charan Mathur
Show answer

✓ (1) Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

See the full paper

BSTC 2026 (shift I) · Q90

Who among the following did NOT hold the office of Rajasthan’s Chief Minister during the decade of 1990s (1990 to 1999)?

  1. (1)Hari Dev Joshi
  2. (2)Shiv Charan Mathur
  3. (3)Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
  4. (4)Ashok Gehlot
Show answer

✓ (2) Shiv Charan Mathur

See the full paper

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