The first proposed list of members of Chief Minister Raman Singh’s Cabinet had already been prepared, top party sources here said.
The list of Cabinet Ministers would be announced in two phases as announced by Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday in his first Press conference after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. There are names of eight Ministers and four parliamentary secretaries in the first list with certain new faces decided by the leadership, sources said.
The list had been handed over to the central leaders for a final stamp on the proposal during their visit to the city on Thursday for attending Chief Minister Raman Singh’s swearing-in ceremony. The first Cabinet list can only be announced after getting written permission of the Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath in view of the Model Code of Conduct in force.
The second Cabinet list is expected after one-and-a-half months, sources stated. Chief Minister Raman Singh is expected to be out of Chhattisgarh for the next two days beginning Friday to attend the swearing in ceremony of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
Interestingly, it was learnt that December 18 is being regarded as ‘inauspicious’ as per the Hindu calendar so the names of the Cabinet Ministers would be announced after the State leadership has a discussion after return of Chief Minister Raman Singh to Raipur after attending swearing in ceremony in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, sources stated.