By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Four ministers were added to the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled Madhya Pradesh Government here on Thursday evening when Governor Dr. Balram Jakhar administered oath of office and secrecy to them.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar administrating oath office and secrecy to four ministers in Bhopal on Thursday
The four ministers who have joined the Shivraj Singh Chauhan ministry five months before the Assembly elections include: Jagannath Singh of cabinet rank while Ramdayal Ahirwar, Ms Nirmala Bhuria and N. P. Kabirpanthy are ministers of state.
In today’s exercise nobody was axed. The decision not to drop any minister was taken to prevent controversy, dejection and erosion among the BJP workers as elections to the State are only few months away, observers feel.
Besides the Chief Minister, the Council has 20 Cabinet ministers and nine ministers of state. In keeping with the 230-member Assembly, the maximum number of ministers including the Chief Minister can be 35. As such there is vacancy for adding one more minister in the ministry.
Contrary to media speculations many aspirants who were hopeful of finding a berth in the ministry were disappointed as they were not included.
After State Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi resigned from the State Cabinet following an Income Tax raid on his brother’s residence, the State capital Bhopal’s political circles here was agog with rumours of a Cabinet expansion. ([email protected])