Though Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia called it a meeting to review developmental works and Chief Minister Shivraj's Singh Chouhan's office termed it a courtesy call, a ten-minute meeting between the two has fuelled speculations on restructuring of the Chouhan cabinet and rehabilitation of Scindia supporters who lost bypolls.
The meeting on Monday afternoon that was scheduled for 45 minutes was wrapped up only in 10 minutes as Chouhan arrived late from his personal engagements at in-laws' place in Gondia (Maharashtra). Scindia had to reportedly wait for 40 minutes to meet the CM, who after the short meeting started a review with health department officials.
Later, the two leaders left for Orchha in Tikamgarh to attend the marriage celebrations of the daughter of Union minister Prahlad Patel. Both Chouhan and Scindia are scheduled to leave for New Delhi later on Monday evening. Chouhan has a meeting scheduled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning, sources said.
Meanwhile, the short meeting between the two leaders has given rise to speculations that the formal re-induction of staunch Scindia supporters Tulsiram Silawat and Govind Rajput into Chouhan cabinet was discussed along with rehabilitation of ex-ministers like Imarti Devi and Girraj Dandotia who lost in the bypolls earlier this month. The other minister who lost—Aindal Singh Kansana—though an ex-Congressman, is not considered a Scindia camp member.
Sources said that while the reshuffle of Chouhan cabinet—which has six spots vacant now— might not come too soon, Silawat and Rajput may be re-inducted as they had to resign just ahead of the bypolls after completing six months as ministers without being MLAs.
Before cabinet reshuffle, the new organisational team of BJP state president Vishnu Dutt Sharma is likely to be announced, sources added.
Imarti Devi who resigned as women and child development minister 11 days after losing the polls is likely to be made the chairperson of the MP Women's Finance Corporation. Appointments on other boards and corporations are also awaited and this was also expected to be discussed between Scindia and Chouhan, sources said, though there was no official word on the agenda on the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Scindia said that he will discuss the progress of various development works with the CM. As for the cabinet restructuring, the RS member said that it was the prerogative of the CM.
Meanwhile, the Congress has taken a dig at the short meeting between Chouhan and Scindia. Narendra Saluja, media coordinator of MP Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath, said that Scindia was given only 10 minutes by the CM after making him wait for 40 minutes. “While in Congress Scindia made people wait, how much will his honour be compromised?”, Saluja asked in a tweet.
Congress media cell chief Jitu Patwari said in a tweet that he had come to know through media that the two leaders were likely to discuss distribution of cabinet and other posts. “The future of guest teachers is dark, farmers were forced to discard unripe crops and wheat was being sold for Rs 1,400 per quintal. What about minimum support price? The government should fulfill its responsibility,” Patwari said.
Meanwhile, during his proposed meeting with the PM, Chouhan is expected to put forth the details of plans under the Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh. He is also likely to put forth the COVID-19 scenario of MP before the PM and might also request release of the pending GST share of the state, sources said.
