In a bid to save their house from the political tsunami expected with the declaration of Parliamentary poll results on Friday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has appointed seven Congress MlAs as parliamentary secretaries on Thursday. With this, now 13 Congress MlAs have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries and they have been given status of minister of state. All have been given status of Cabinet minister by the State Government.
CM Rawat has appointed seven MlA namely Madan Singh Bisht, Shaila Rani Rawat, Sarita Arya, Prof Jeet Ram, Rajkumar, Umesh Sharma Kau and Vikram Singh Negi as Parliamentary Secretary. With this 13 Congress MlAs including six, who were appointed by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, are Fukan Ahmed, Vijaypal Sajwan, Ganesh Godiyal, Narayan Ram Arya, Manoj Tiwari and Hemesh Kharkwal. Seven Congress MlAs namely Indira Hridayesh, Yashpal Arya, Harak Singh Rawat, Surendra Singh Negi, Preetam Singh, Amrita Rawat and Dinesh Aggrawal were already in Harish Rawat cabinet. With this appointment, 20 out 33 MlAs have been given cabinet minister status and red beacon vehicles.
Sources said that to influence remaining 13 MlAs CM Rawat may either appoint them as parliamentary secretary or may appoint as chairman or deputy chairman of the committee. The court has fixed 15 per cent ceiling for the cabinet minister or minister of state in the State or Central Government of the total strength. It means the State is having 70 MlAs; so the State Government can induct maximum 11 MlAs as cabinet ministers.