NEW DELHI: The
Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is facing two battles on its home turf –– fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and getting its state Cabinet expanded ahead of the by-elections to 24 crucial seats.
The tricky proposition that the Chouhan government stares at is how to accommodate some of the Congress MLAs who had defected to their side, while at the same time, providing berths for senior
BJP MLAs who have been long-term players.
Currently, there are five ministers in Shivraj Chouhan’s cabinet who had taken oath on April 21.
With the delay in
Cabinet expansion, anxiety is building up among senior BJP leaders and those who have joined the party after resigning from the Congress. The defected Congress leaders, who have to go in for assembly by-elections, need to showcase some work in their constituency.
Sources told ET that eight of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s men will be accommodated in the Cabinet, leaving 15 berths for BJP MLAs. Since many BJP leaders are 4-5 time MLAs, the party is finding it difficult to accommodate all the seniors in the Cabinet.
“Cabinet expansion will surely happen and the leadership will take a call on this,” VD Sharma, MP BJP president told ET.
Emerging Equations
* No. of seats facing by-election- 24
*Eight of Scindia’s men likely to be accommodated in the Cabinet, leaving 15 berths for BJP MLAs
*Senior Scindia camp leaders reaching out to BJP leaders in their regions
*On May 16, state minister Govind Singh Rajput met former Sagar MP and BJP leader Laxmi Narayan Yadav at his residence
*Former MP and BJP leader Premchand Guddu defied party line and openly spoke against Scindia and Silawat.
*Keeping an eye on the elections, CM Chouhan announced the Chambal Progressway –– a highway with industrial development on either sides