Second and probably the last Cabinet expansion of the Hemant Soren Government may take another three-four days to take place. And this time the delay is due to none other than the CBI, sources revealed.
Congress insiders confirmed that with the premier investigating agency probing charges against some of its members among several others in the two Rajya Sabha horse trading cases taken place in 2010 and 2012, the party is treading cautiously in naming its members into the Cabinet. Three more names have to be inducted into it to take it to the fixed strength of 12.
“This is only reason why the expansion has not taken place. We are waiting for the CBI move,” said a senior party functionary. As per indications the CBI is all set to come up with its first charge sheet into the case that has trails of crores of rupees being transacted during the polls happened for the Upper House of Parliament. Investigation in the case has taken into its grip Congress MlAs such as Sarfraz Ahmed, KN Tripathi, Rajesh Ranjan among others.
As per preliminary list names of Chandrashekhar Dubey and Banna Gupta apart from Ahmed were doing rounds for the ministerial berths. “The party high command is clear in its mind about tainted faces. If name of Sarfraz Ahemd figures into the charge sheet then it is likely that Mannan Malick will get a chance. The other two have no controversy around them,” said a leader requesting anonymity. Congress against it quota of five has named only Rajendra Singh and Geetashree Oraon.