The wait for much-awaited Cabinet expansion is getting longer with several leaders of the BJP getting occupied with Delhi Assembly polls. State BJP president Ravindra Rai on Saturday said that since many of the MPs, MlAs and senior leaders were busy with party’s poll campaign in Delhi, the expansion may take place only after the polls in Delhi get over.
While CM Raghubar Das has kept mum on the issue, the statement of the state party president is indicative of the event taking place only after the counting of Delhi Assembly polls ends on February 10. Sources in the state BJP headquarters also hinted that the occupancy of leaders in Delhi polls was a major obstacle before the decision makers to finalise the names for Cabinet.
“Many of the senior leaders, MlAs and MPs are either engaged or will be engaged in the party work at Delhi. It is therefore very difficult to take a final decision about Cabinet expansion. The CM is authorized to take a decision and we hope that he finishes the work immediately after Delhi elections,” Rai told media persons at the party office.
Meanwhile, aspirants for the ministerial berths in the party are also keeping their fingers crossed for the expansion. “We cannot deny that the situation is making us anxious. You should be ready for taking the responsibilities of a minister but if you are not chosen you should be ready to work for the people of your constituency. We hope that the senior leaders of the party take justifiable decision,” said a senior leader, whose name is doing rounds for ministerial berth.
Another female MlA being considered one of the top contenders for a minister’s post said that it was totally the party’s prerogative to decide on the names for Cabinet members and the MlAs should keep themselves involved in the process of decision making whether directly or indirectly. “It should be seen as an opportunity to work for the people rather than a personal achievement. Even if the expansion gets delayed it hardly matters because we have a full five years to work for the state,” she said.
Meanwhile, CM Raghubar Das today spent over two hours at party office holding his workers ‘Janta Darbar’ for the second time. More than 210 people met the CM with their problems of varies nature ranging from land issues, jobs, police atrocity, family dispute among others. The CM took the problems of workers very seriously and talked to DCs and SPs of eight districts directly and tried to solve their problems on the spot. The CM reiterated that no petition should come to him related to transfer-postings and personal gains. Only genuine problems of the workers would be heard at the forum, he said.
The CM also addressed members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and exhorted them to make youngsters join the party. He said that the role of young workers of the party was vital for state BJP’s mission to add 10 lakh members in the party by March 2015.