After days of delay and hard bargain, the first expansion of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana Cabinet will take place within the next two days.
Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said he had discussed cabinet expansion with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here.
The Jannayak Janta Party leader said there was also a discussion on allotment of departments with the chief minister. On how many independent MLAs will be made Ministers, he said the two coalition partners will decide this.
Asked when will the cabinet expansion take place, the deputy chief minister said, "It will take place in the next 48 hours (by Thursday)."
Earlier, the cabinet expansion was expected on Tuesday, but Maharashtra imbroglio was one of the factor that delayed the induction of ministers. On being asked whether two more MLAs from the JJP will get the cabinet berth, Chautala said, "This is an internal matter of our party."
Asked if there had been any talk with the chief minister about the portfolios which the ministers from the JJP camp will get, Chautala answered in the affirmative.
Khattar met BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday and discussed with him about the first cabinet expansion of newly formed Government in the State. Senior BJP leaders were also present in the meeting. The names of those MLAs to be inducted as ministers were finalised on Sunday itself, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, when the council of ministers finally takes oath in the State on Wednesday or Thursday, it will mark the longest gap of 17 or 18 days between the swearing-in of the Chief Minister and other members of his ministry in the State.
Prior to this, such a situation was also witnessed in the state in 2009, when the Congress had also fallen short of a full majority and had to take outside support to form a government. Then, Bhupinder Singh Hooda took oath as the CM on October 25 but the other ministers had to wait for 13 days, until November 7, to be sworn in. The present situation in the State is another indicator of the struggles and tribulations that lie ahead for the Khattar government.
Khattar took oath as the chief minister for the second time on Diwali (October 27) and Dushyant, great grandson of former deputy prime minister, late Devi Lal, was sworn-in as his deputy as the BJP formed the government with the help of the JJP in Haryana. Seven Independents are also supporting the Government.