The cabinet expansion was on awaited since the month of March when Jyotiraditya Scindia, once a close aid of Rahul Gandhi, joined the BJP after 22 rebels quit Congress along with him.
Bhopal| In a cabinet expansion that had been delayed for months over the fight for ministries, twenty-eight new ministers joined the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh today. The significant numbers of Congress leaders in the cabinet established Jyotiraditya Scindia’s stamp in the cabinet expansion. Several Scindia-loyalists, who switched to BJP with him in March, were among the ministers sworn in today. Scindia’s aunt Yashodhara Raje Scindia, a BJP leader, was also given a place in the cabinet.
According to sources, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was forced to stand down on many candidates he had suggested to the central leadership.
“Manthan se toh amrit hi nikalta hai, vish toh Shiv pee jaatein hain (nectar is produced only when there is a churning, and Lord Shiv must drink the poison),” the MP CM said Wednesday. Many said that the statement, playing on the name of the CM, was an admission that his new team may not include the ministers he wanted.
Chouhan tweeted a conciliatory message saying, “I congratulate all the ministers who took oath today. We all will work together to achieve our common goals of development and public welfare in Madhya Pradesh. I am confident that I will get your full support in bringing new reforms.”
The cabinet expansion was on awaited since the month of March when Jyotiraditya Scindia, once a close aid of Rahul Gandhi, joined the BJP after 22 rebels quit Congress along with him.
Former Chief Minister of MP Kamal Nath, in a tweet, said, “I feel very sad at not finding many able, dedicated and senior BJP MLAs in today’s cabinet expansion.” Kamal Nath was reinforcing speculation that Mr Chouhan lost out in his very first tug-of-war with bitter rival-turned-colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia.
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