Clad in a traditional Rajasthani turban ‘safa’, Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa intently listens to people from across the state at the Jan Sunvai Kendra on a Tuesday morning. Each person comes with a unique request — ranging from development works in local panchayats, long-pending matters relating to different departments, or just the desire to click a selfie with him.

Bairwa, 55, is among the two deputies to Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma, with the other being Diya Kumari.

The rise of Bairwa, a Dalit, to the second-highest post in Rajasthan serves as a powerful message to the nearly 18 per cent scheduled caste (ST) population in the state, which continues to see many cases of atrocities against the marginalised sections of the society. The jubilation of Dalits of Bairwa’s elevation as Deputy CM can be gauged from the fact that, ever since he took oath, he has been invited and felicitated by various Dalit community groups.

The road to the Deputy CM’s post has been long for Bairwa. Earlier in his life, he took up several odd jobs, such as an insurance agent. He has risen through the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ranks after becoming a member of the Jaipur Zila Parishad in the early 2000s. He is also one of the most qualified ministers in Rajasthan with MA, M Phil, and doctorate degrees.

“We not only came to congratulate him but also requested him to elevate primary schools in our village. We have seen him rising from the ground and we believe he will get the work done as he knows how difficult it is for students to get proper education in villages,” said Bhagi Chand Meghwal, a resident of Dudu, to Outlook.

Bairwa is a second-time MLA from the Dudu constituency, hardly 100 kilometres from Jaipur.  In the recently-concluded elections, he won with a margin of over 35,000 votes against Congress candidate Babu Lal Nagar.

Soon after Bairwa was made the Deputy CM, he said his priority would be to take along all sections of the society and restore law and order in the state.

“We will work on restoring law and order. Rajasthan was leading in crime against women and Dalit atrocities and now, the new government will work to restore law and order. We will take along all sections of society. The Congress government made Rajasthan number one in crimes against women and Dalits,” said Bairwa.

Bairwa has also been touring the hospitals and institutes on surprise visits besides holding Jan Sunwai —public hearings— regularly.

In the run-up to the assembly elections, one of the main issues raised by the BJP was crimes against Dalits in Rajasthan — with the state ranking second in cases of Dalit atrocities in the country according to crime figures released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2021. By making Bairwa the Deputy CM, the BJP has given representation to the scheduled caste (SC) communities at the top echelons of the government, hoping to further increase its support among the Dalits, which is considered the traditional vote bank of Congress in the state.

Bairwa was first elected as an MLA from the Dudu seat in the 2013 assembly elections but suffered a loss in the 2018 polls. He was defeated by then-Independent candidate Babu Lal Nagar. In the Bhajanlal Sharma ministry, Bairwa holds the portfolios of technical education, higher education, AYUSH, and road and transport. He holds a PhD from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

“He is a member of the national body of BJP’s SC Morcha and has been active in politics since his college days by being associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vishwa Parishad (ABVP). His elevation will not only bring hope in the community but also will help the party to gain the Dalit community’s support in Lok Sabha polls,” said a party source to Outlook.