By IANS
Jaipur : In a sudden development, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Monday expanded her cabinet and inducted five new faces in her ministry.
Of the five new entrants in the cabinet, two are from Meena community and one is a Gujjar. The exercise is seen as a measure to appease the Gujjar and Meena communities.
Governor S.K. Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Kalicharan Saraf, MLA from Johri Bazar in Jaipur, Ramkishore Meena, MLA from Sikrai in Dausa district, Nandlal Meena from Pratapgarh in Chittorgarh, and Nathu Singh Gujjar, MLA from Todaraisingh in Tonk district.
All of them have been made cabinet ministers while Surendra Goyal, MLA from Jaitaran in Pali district, was sworn-in as minister of state with independent charge.
The chief minister also dropped two of her ministers K.L. Meena and Virendra Meena.
K.L. Meena, the food & civil supplies minister, had tendered his resignation a day before the Justice Jasraj Chopra submitted its status report on Gujjar reservation issue Dec 17.
Gujjars, who at present are under other backward class category, want to be classified as tribals for better educational and job opportunities, the Meenas on the other hand have been opposing any move to tamper with the existing tribal list.
Chunilal Dhakar, minister for public health and engineering, has been made as chairman Khadi & Gramudyog Board.