HP: Speaker keen on cabinet berth, CM wants Shah, Nadda to take call

Shimla: Even as state cabinet has decided to convene Winter Session of the state assembly at Dharamshala on December 9, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur still hasn't opened his cards on impending cabinet expansion.

Rather, he is keeping the move under wraps.

But after he flew Delhi on Tuesday morning, closely followed by Speaker Dr Rajeev Bindal, speculations were rife about Dr Bindal being keen to enter the cabinet before the BJP completes its two years in the power on December 27.

There are two vacancies in the cabinet created by the resignation of Krishan Kapoor, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kangra and other vacancy resulted by the exit of Anil Sharma, son of former telecom minister Sukh Ram – who along with his grandson Ashray Sharma had joined the Congress to contest Mandi Parliamentary seat.

Ashray Sharma had lost the poll to Ram Swaroop Sharma by a huge margin and Anil Sharma also lost his cabinet post – an inevitable fallout of his father and son joining the Congress in greed to make a bid to the Lok Sabha. After Jai Ram Thakur had himself announced move to fill-up cabinet posts, the lobbyings were going on grabbing the cabinet post.

Senior BJP politician Dr Bindal— who had been a cabinet minister in the earlier Prem Kumar Dhumal government wants to return to the government. In fact, he wanted to be in the cabinet in 2017 but the party decided against it and made him Speaker.

Dr Bindal hasn't given-up his choice and he is lobbying hard for this.

However, Jai Ram Thakur wanted to consult BJP president Amit Shah and BJP working president J P Nadda about Dr Bindal's options. A meeting with two leaders and Sangh Pariwar is slated in Delhi on Tuesday night.

Another contender is Rakesh Pathania, a firebrand party MLA from Nurpur, who finds is chanced bright.

Other names being speculated also include BJP leader Sukh Ram Chaudhary from Paonta Sahib and Narinder Bragta, a former minister and MLA from Jubbal Kotkai.

Yet, it's more about Dr Bindal staying as Speaker or entering the cabinet, apart from fate of Rakesh Pathania hanging in the fire.

Insiders even say Thakur wants to drop some ministers because of their poor performance and reshuffle the cabinet. Many, however, raise doubts if he will really be able to do so and invite displeasure of a section of the party leadership, and dropped ministers.

Thakur had become Chief Minister following the defeat of Prem Kumar Dhumal --who was projected CM candidate, during the poll.