The much-awaited expansion of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet is likely only after the budget session of the state assembly. There are strong indications that at least one MLA among the two from Bahujan Samaj Party and the lone Samajwadi Party MLA might join the cabinet.
One or two more independent MLAs are also expected to join the cabinet, sources in the Congress said. One independent, Pradeep Jaiswal, is already a minister.
Congress media cell in-charge Shobha Oza told THE WEEK that the expansion was likely only after the assembly budget session. She refused to comment on likely inclusions in the cabinet. The session would commence on July 8 and conclude on July 26.
Both the BSP MLAs, Rambai Singh of Patharia and Sanjiv Singh of Bhind denied having any indications of inclusion in the cabinet, while talking to THE WEEK. Rambai said that her feeling was that if at all, the three remaining independents and three BSP/SP members would be inducted or none at all.
Sanjiv Singh said joining the government, if offered, would be the decision of the BSP high command. SP MLA Rajesh Kumar could not be contacted for comments.
There had been strong rumours of cabinet expansion right after the declaration of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23 as the Congress suffered a stunning defeat in Madhya Pradesh as well as other parts in the country.
Though it regained power after 15 years in Madhya Pradesh in December 2018, the Congress is walking on thin ice in the state assembly too, as with 114 MLAs it is by itself one short of majority mark and dependent on the support of four independents, two BSP and one SP MLA to run a stable government in the state.
As the opposition BJP got into an extra aggressive stance after the bolstering Lok Sabha results, it looked imperative that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath might soon expand his cabinet that currently has 28 ministers.
The fact that Kamal Nath convened a meeting of all Congress and supporting MLAs (total 121) after the Lok Sabha poll results (on May 26) and also held one-on-one consultations with many of them, made it look more probable that the cabinet expansion was imminent.
But despite the allegiance vowed by all the MLAs and indications by at least one independent (Surendra Singh) claiming that he had been assured a cabinet berth, soon it became apparent that the cabinet expansion was not happening right away.
