Bhopal: The much-awaited expansion of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government cabinet in Madhya Pradesh will take place on January 3. Only two ministers are expected to be sworn in. “According to the information received so far, only two ministers will be sworn in this cabinet expansion,” BJP sources said on Friday night.
According to sources, supporters of BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia (Tulsi Silawat) and Govind Singh Rajput can be included in the cabinet. Both of them have been ministers in the Chauhan cabinet earlier. Both were made ministers on April 21 last year but were not legislators then. Due to this, he had to resign from the post of the minister a day before the completion of six months due to constitutional obligation last year. He resigned on November 3, just before the by-election for 28 assembly seats.
By winning their respective seats in the by-elections, both of them have now become MLAs. Discussion of the expansion of the cabinet was going on in the political corridors only after the results of the by-elections held on November 3 in 28 assembly seats of Madhya Pradesh. The cabinet may have a total of 35 members in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
At present, there are a total of 29 members including Chief Minister Chauhan. Accordingly, Chauhan can have six more ministers in it. Another party source said, “There is talk of including only two people in the cabinet.” But, in this expansion of the cabinet, some more people can also be made ministers at the last moment. However, it is the chief minister’s prerogative to make someone a minister. “
Before the by-elections, the Council of Ministers had 34 members including the Chief Minister. After resigning from the posts of ministers of Tulsiram Silavat and Govind Singh Rajput, their number came down to 32 and in this by-election three ministers Edal Singh Kanshana, Imarti Devi, and Girraj Dandotia lost the elections, due to which they had to resign from their ministerial posts. . Currently there are 29 members in the Council of Ministers. An official of Madhya Pradesh said that the cabinet is expected to expand on January 3 at around 12.30 pm.
He said that after this the newly appointed Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Mohammad Rafiq will also take oath at around 3 pm. Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel will administer the oath of office to the new ministers and the Chief Justice. She is also the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Rafiq is currently the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and has been transferred and appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 31 December.
It is known that Chauhan was sworn in as the chief minister alone on March 23 last year and amidst the corona virus epidemic and lockdown, Chief Minister Chauhan continued to run the government alone for 29 days. Later on 21 April a five-member Council of Ministers was formed. Meanwhile, a release issued by Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department states, “Anandiben Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, will come to Bhopal on January 3. The Governor will administer the oath to the newly appointed Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Governor Patel will leave from Bhopal for Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) in the afternoon. ”
