In yet another political discourse ahead of the long-awaited Cabinet expansion in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Raghubar Das met BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday to take a final call on the shape of the State Cabinet. The ruling coalition’s five-member Cabinet will soon be expanded and the decision is likely on Tuesday after the Chief Minister, on his return to Ranchi, holds a formal meeting with party leaders, said sources.
According to BJP insiders, a final decision on the names has already been taken in Monday’s meeting at Delhi. Though the names are yet to be made public, sources said that Jamshedpur East MlA Saryu Roy, Koderma MlA Dr Neera Yadav, Chhatarpur MlA RK Kishore, Dhanbad MlA Raj Sinha, Hatia legislator Navin Jaisawal were some of the most probable names to be included in the Raghubar Cabinet.
“The Chief Minister returned today and is likely to hold an informal meeting tomorrow. We hope that the Cabinet expansion will take place on Wednesday because there is no glitch in the process. If it doesn’t take place on Wednesday it will be done after Prime Minister’s visit to Hazaribagh,” said a senior BJP leader.
“Since some of the Central leaders were missing from the first swearing-in ceremony, the Chief Minister might be inviting them to Ranchi this time. So, this time we should expect Central leaders at the ceremony, which might take place after the Prime Minister’s visit to Hazaribagh,” he added.
BJP leaders also opined that the delay in Cabinet expansion was also because of the new members (former JVM MlAs) were not settled in the party properly. “They have come to Ranchi today and met the Speaker. They are part of the BJP now. The Government is stable and we have no issues at all to differ on. Whoever becomes a minister it makes no difference to the legislators because they have to serve the State for five years. This is for sure,” said an MlA requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, six legislators who had defected from the JVM and joined the BJP in Delhi today reached Ranchi and went to meet the Speaker of the State Assembly. They sought some time to reply to the Speaker’s notice clearing their stand on the issue of joining the BJP. Speaker Dinesh Oraon gave them time till March 9 to reply to the notice.
“I have asked them to reply by 3 pm on March 9. The post of the Speaker is a Constitutional one and I assure you that the dignity of the Chair will be maintained with all decisions being taken in a fair and transparent manner,” Oraon said.
After their arrival at the airport Hatia MlA Navin Jaisawal said that they have joined the BJP to give a stable Government to the State. His colleagues also supported Jaisawal and flayed the Opposition’s allegation of horse trading terming it baseless and filled with grudge.