CHANDIGARH: Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana govt on Tuesday carried out its first
cabinet expansion
, with eight BJP ministers — seven of them first-timers — taking oath at a
state-level function
.
Induction of Hisar MLA Kamal Gupta as cabinet minister for the second time, Ambala City MLA Aseem Goel, Thanesar (Kurukshetra) MLA Subhash Sudha, Bawani Khera (reserved) MLA Bishambar Balmiki, Nangal Chaudhary MLA Rao Abhay Singh Yadav, Badkhal MLA Seema Trikha, Sohna MLA Sanjay Singh and Panipat (rural) MLA Mahipal Dhanda as ministers of state (MoS) with independent charge took govt’s council of ministers to 14.
On March 12, besides Saini, other ministers who took oath included Rania independent MLA Ranjit Singh Chautala, Mool Chand Sharma, Jai Parkash Dalal, Banwari Lal and Kanwar Pal Gujjar, all BJP MLAs. Portfolios will be allocated in next few days.
By ignoring Independent MLAs, ex-home and health minister Anil Vij and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, BJP has sent out a clear message of not budging to any pressure, while attempting to get its caste and regional equations correct.
Of the 14 ministers, three (including CM Saini, Gujjar and Rao Abhay Singh) come from OBC category, two (Mool Chand Sharma and Trikha) are Brahmins, three (Ranjit Singh Chautala, Dalal and Dhanda) belong to Jat community, two (Banwari Lal and Balmiki) are from Dalit community, and Goel and Kamal Gupta are from Vaish community.
Saini and the BJP high command have tried to give representation to all regions of the state, especially the northern districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra and Panipat and Ahir-dominated southern belt through Banwari Lal and Rao Abhay Singh.
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