The Rajasthan Government has issued a gazette notification regarding the abolishment of three newly formed divisions and nine districts amid a war of words between leaders of the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress over the reversal of the previous Ashok Gehlot regime’s decision.

The notification, issued on Sunday, legally enacts Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government’s decision to abolish the three divisions—Sikar, Pali, and Banswara—and nine districts—Dudu, Kekri, Shahpura, Neem-Ka-Thana, Gangapur City, Jaipur-Rural, Jodhpur-Rural, Anoopgarh, and Sanchore—that were constituted by the Gehlot-led Congress government on August 5, 2023.

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However, eight of the 17 districts formed last year have been retained. These are: Deeg, Balotra, Khairthal-Tizara, Beawar, Kotputli-Behror, Deedwana-Kuchaman, Phalodi, and Salumbar.

With this change, the state will now comprise seven divisions and 41 districts.

The creation of new divisions and districts by the previous Congress government, and the subsequent nullification of these by the Sharma-led BJP government, have taken on a political dimension.

While the ruling party has justified its decision to abolish the divisions and districts, calling the Gehlot regime’s move politically motivated to win votes in the election year, the opposition has criticized it as another step in the ruling party’s “agenda” of reversing, suspending, or closing initiatives and schemes from the previous administration.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Ram Patel and BJP state chief Madan Rathore reiterated that the Congress government’s decisions were made with electoral prospects in mind, ignoring norms and criteria based on geographical, economic, and administrative needs.

Former Chief Minister Gehlot defended his government’s decision, stating, “Our state is the largest in the country in terms of area. We need smaller districts and a well-organized administrative system. I believe there is still room for creating more districts in the state for better governance and smoother resolution of public issues and grievances.”

The incumbent government, however, did not provide a logical explanation for what they called an “undemocratic, unthoughtful, and anti-people” action, accusing the ruling party of reversing their decisions without any substantive rationale.

As part of their defense, the ruling party has “fielded” six to seven former bureaucrats to justify the abolition of nine districts and three divisions.