Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai to expand his cabinet on Wednesday
Chhattisgarh governor Ramen Deka will administer the oath of office to the newly inducted ministers at 10:30am
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai will expand his council of ministers on Wednesday morning, according to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the state, who made the announcement on Tuesday.
Governor Ramen Deka will administer the oath of office to the newly inducted ministers at 10:30am. The Chhattisgarh BJP, however, did not confirm the number of ministers to be inducted at the event.. Some BJP leaders said three legislators were likely to be administered oath which would raise the strength of the state cabinet to 14.
The Vishnu Deo Sai-led council of ministers currently has 11 members. The Constitution caps the size of the council of ministers at 15 per cent of the strength of the lower house. In the case of Chhattisgarh’s 90-member House, this limit was previously understood to cap the strength at 13 ministers, including the CM since 15%of 90 MLAs works out to 13.5.
But BJP leaders said the government was tilting in favour of the Haryana model, which has defended its decision to appoint 14 ministers on the ground that the government had rounded off the figure to 14.
The Haryana decision has been challenged in the high court, but there has been no ruling yet.
{{/usCountry}}The Haryana decision has been challenged in the high court, but there has been no ruling yet.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP secured 54 seats in the 2023 assembly polls, while the Congress won 35 and the Gondwana Gantantra Party one.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP secured 54 seats in the 2023 assembly polls, while the Congress won 35 and the Gondwana Gantantra Party one.
{{/usCountry}}Sai, along with deputy chief ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, took oath on December 13, 2023. Nine other ministers were sworn in later that month.
{{/usCountry}}Sai, along with deputy chief ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, took oath on December 13, 2023. Nine other ministers were sworn in later that month.
{{/usCountry}}The cabinet strength declined to 11 last year after Brijmohan Agrawal resigned as minister following his election to the Lok Sabha from Raipur.
{{/usCountry}}The cabinet strength declined to 11 last year after Brijmohan Agrawal resigned as minister following his election to the Lok Sabha from Raipur.
{{/usCountry}}Among the frontrunners for Wednesday’s cabinet expansion are Durg MLA Gajendra Yadav, who belongs to the numerically significant OBC Yadav community and has an RSS background; Arang MLA Guru Khushwant Saheb, son of Satnami sect leader Baldas Saheb, representing a key Scheduled Caste vote base; and Ambikapur MLA Rajesh Agrawal, who defeated senior Congress leader and then deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo in the last assembly election.
{{/usCountry}}Among the frontrunners for Wednesday’s cabinet expansion are Durg MLA Gajendra Yadav, who belongs to the numerically significant OBC Yadav community and has an RSS background; Arang MLA Guru Khushwant Saheb, son of Satnami sect leader Baldas Saheb, representing a key Scheduled Caste vote base; and Ambikapur MLA Rajesh Agrawal, who defeated senior Congress leader and then deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo in the last assembly election.
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