In a bid to keep his house intact, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has awarded cabinet minister status to ten MlAs with immediate effect on Sunday. Meanwhile, verbal fight between two cabinet ministers, namely Harak Singh Rawat and Amrita Rawat, has intensified in the State, though CM Rawat has refused to make any comment on it. Although no official notification has been made, the chief minsiter's office has confirmed that the portfolios will be allocated to the MlAs with immediate effect.
A day before of counting, CM Rawat had appointed seven MlAs including Madan Singh Bisht, Sarita Arya, Umesh Sharma Kau, Shailarani Rawat, Prof Jeet Ram, Vikram Singh Negi and Rajkumar as Parliamentary secretaries. Most of these MlAs belong to Anti-CM Rawat faction and loyal to either to his predecessor Vijay Bahuguna, party veteran ND Tiwari or former Congress leader Satpal Maharaj.
After seeing annihilation of Congress party in general election-2014, CM Rawat has awarded cabinet minister status to MlAs including alliance party. Their names are Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, Rajendra Bhandari, Mayukh Mahar, Dr Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri, Sarbat Karim Ansari, Haridass, Madan Singh Bisht, Sunderlal Manderwal, Narayan Ram Arya and Navprabhat. With this declaration, CM Rawat has tried to keep their alliance especially BSP, which having three members in the State legislative assembly. Its seriousness can be gauged from the fact that no official notification has been made, but chief minister's office (CMO) has released the list before the media verbally.
Since Satpal Maharaj exodus, who left Congress and joined BJP, speculation was rife that MlAs loyal to him (Maharaj) may create problem for CM Rawat. It was also being presumed that after declaration of general election result, they (Maharaj loyal) may resign from Congress-led Uttarakhand government so CM Rawat has tried to balance them. Congress has 33 members in the 70 members Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha and beings survives on the support of Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), which is an alliance of seven MlAs including three BSP, three independent and one UKD (P).
Ironically Madan Singh Bisht, who was already appointed as Parliamentary secretary on May 15, has been given additional charge on Sunday. Even CM Rawat has given cabinet minister status to two remaining BSP MlAs namely Haridass and Sarbat Karim Ansari. With this all three MlAs of BSP would enjoy cabinet minister in the State.
Deputy speaker Dr Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri and Rajendra Bhadari, have been known as staunch supporter of ex-MP Maharaj, were given additional charge by the state CM. Making counter attack against cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat, who lost general election with BJP candidate & ex-CM Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and has demanded that Satpal Maharaj's wife and State cabinet Minister Amrita Rawat should be removed from Rawat cabinet, Amrita Rawat said that she is with Congress and will remain loyal to the Congress.