MP Cabinet expansion a big challenge for CM
Bhopal: In view of the by-polls, to be held on 24 Assembly segments in Madhya Pradesh, the cabinet expansion has become a big challenge for Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to make balance among the BJP's senior MLAs, who are considered as election strategists.
According to sources, the first cabinet expansion of Chouhan's fourth-innings may be held after ending the lockdown 4.0 due to COVID-19 pandemic, which is going to complete on May 31. The rounds of the meetings between CM Chouhan and BJP state unit head VD Sharma and organisation general secretary Suhas Bhagat are going on for last few days to finalise the names of MLAs for giving them ministerial berths.
After taking oath fourth-time as CM, Chouhan had 29 days later formed a 'mini cabinet' of five ministers only during the lockdown. Excepting Narottam Mishra, no senior BJP MLA had been inducted into the Cabinet. After the Cabinet formation, Chouhan had said that the expansion of the Cabinet would be held after lifting the second lockdown, on May 3.
The BJP came to the power in the state after Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, his 22 supporter MLAs including 6 ministers of the party had submitted their resignation from the Assembly to topple the Kamal Nath-led government in the state.
Former Home Minister, Bhupendra Singh who is considered close to CM Chouhan has not succeeded to get a ministerial berth in the cabinet formation held on April 21. Considered as a by-poll strategist leader in the BJP, Singh's ignorance may overshadow to the party in the upcoming by-polls to be held on 24 Assembly segments of the state. Most of the by-polls concluded in the previous Chouhan regime were won by the BJP while Bhupendra Singh was the Incharge in every by-election.
It is also considered that Bhupendra Singh has a strong hold in most of the Assembly seats where the by-polls are to be conducted.
BJP's bigwig, Gopal Bhargav who was the Leader of Opposition in the previous Congress government and has been minister many times, was not inducted in the mini cabinet. Other senior leaders who have been cabinet ministers in the Chouhan's previous regimes and are also in the race for getting ministerial berth, are Gouri Shankar Bisen, Rajendra Shukla, Rampal Singh, Jagdish Devda, Sitasharan Sharma, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Brijendra Pratap Singh and Vishwas Sarang.
According to sources, before joining the BJP, Scindia had made a deal with the party leadership that his 10 supporters would have to induct into the cabinet. Around 25 ministers may be administered in the first cabinet expansion in which eight may be Scindia's supporters, sources also said.
It was the first time in the history of Madhya Pradesh where two non-MLAs took oath as cabinet ministers and other eight Scindia supporters, former legislators may be administered in the upcoming cabinet expansion.
Two of Scindia's supporters, former MLAs had been included among the five while two other BJP legislators had made success for getting ministerial birth in the cabinet.
In this situation, making concord among the seniors and new aspirant MLAs for giving ministerial berth to them has become a big challenge for CM Chouhan. Apart from this, balancing of the caste and region-wise equations is also an important factor for the cabinet expansion because the party will have to go for fighting a 24 by-polls, largest one in the history, for continuing to the power.
Former CM Kamal Nath has recently claimed that many BJP MLAs were in touch with him and they would come open after the cabinet expansion. He also said that the Congress would come back in the state after the by-polls. Nath's statement has raised the anxiety of Shivraj for extending the Cabinet.
Two BSP, one SP and four independent MLAs who voted in favour of the Shivraj government during the floor test in the Assembly are also waiting to get a ministerial berth.
