The Cabinet formation in Madhya Pradesh will be a tightrope walk for the Congress.
Several ministerial aspirants from different camps led by Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Union Ministers Suresh Pachouri and Arun Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP VivekTankha, ex-MP Meenakshi Natrajan, and former Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ajay Singh are demanding a big share in ministerial berths. Too many aspirants and the challenge of keeping a caste and regional balance could hold up the Ministry-making effort of the Kamal Nath government.
The party witnessed the first spark of dissent when State Congress campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia, left for home after Kamal Nath, 72, was picked for the top job in the State on Friday night.
A day later, on Saturday, Mr. Scindia was mobbed by MLAs and his supporters outside his residence in Delhi. His supporters claimed that at least 15 legislators wanted him to become the Deputy CM or to grab the party chief’s post that automatically fel vacant after Mr. Kamal Nath took oath as Chief Minister.
Congress sources said that Mr. Scindia had pointed out to the party leadership that during the entire Assembly election campaign, the BJP’s slogan “Maaf karo Maharaj, hamara neta toh Shivraj”, (Sorry Maharaj, our leader is Shivraj)’ was targeted against him.
Ahead of the Cabinet formation, supporters of Mr. Scindia will be lobbying hard for the party president’s post as well as for ministerial berths. Sources said his supporters are eyeing some meaty portfolios and also the State Congress chief’s post. Some of his supporters want Mr. Scindia to grab the deputy’s post, like Sachin Pilot did in Rajasthan.
In the past three days, newly elected MLAs met Mr. Digvijaya Singh, Mr. Ajay Singh and Mr. Pachouri, seeking ministerial berths. In the meantime, several caste bodies got into the act, demanding representation in the Ministry for their community members.
Arif Aqeel, a five-term MLA from Bhopal North, reportedly said that as a member of the minority community, he should be given a ministerial berth. Similarly, several others are also demanding slots, with some of them ferrying supporters from constituencies in a show of strength. With Mr. Aqeel seeking a Cabinet berth, supporters of P.C. Sharma, an MLA representing Bhopal South-West, are demanding one for him too.
With several second-rung leaders like Mr. Pachouri, Mr. Ajay Singh, former Ministers Rajendra Singh, Mukesh Nayak losing the elections, the filling up of berths has become that much easier both for Mr. Kamal Nath and Mr. Digvijaya Singh. Mr. Nath and Mr. Digvijaya are different in many ways, but understand each other very well. They have been given a free hand but are finding it difficult to accommodate all the aspirants.
“If the different factions are not properly accommodated in the Ministry or as chairpersons in boards and corporations, the dissidence is going to become grist to the media,” said a Congress leader, requesting anonymity.
The Congress was forced to make compromises after it emerged as the single largest party with 114 but fell two short of the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230-member Assembly. The party had to take the support of the BSP, the SP and Independents to form the government. Now, there is going to be an intense competition to fill the Cabinet with a limited strength of 34 posts.