MP cabinet rejig likely in a month, 3 ex-Cong MLAs may find a place

BHOPAL: With the four-phase Lok Sabha polls over in Madhya Pradesh, there is strong buzz now about a mini expansion of the council of ministers being on the cards in the state.

According to sources in the ruling BJP circles, there is strong possibility of a cabinet reshuffle happening in the state after the LS polls results and before the next session of the Vidhan Sabha in June-July.

Importantly, the present council of ministers headed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is 31-strong, which means four more vacant slots. The current team includes the CM, two deputy CMs, 18 cabinet ministers, six ministers of state (independent charge) and four MoS.

There is possibility of three-to-four new faces getting inducted Yadav’s team and key portfolios getting reallocated among the existing ministers, particularly based on the results of the Lok Sabha polls in each of the present ministers’ constituencies.

According to informed sources, report cards or performance reports of existing ministers (particularly based on the outcome of the LS polls results and percentage of polling in various assembly segments) will be drawn once the national elections are over.

Based on the performance the ministers, the portfolio reallocation may happen during the cabinet rejig, which is most likely to happen by June-end, just before Vidhan Sabha’s next session, whose dates are yet not decided.

Sources within the party further claimed that the new faces are likely to be inducted in the council of ministers, included the three sitting MLAs of the Congress, who joined the BJP before or during the LS polls.

The three MLAs include Amarwara MLA Kamlesh Shah, Vijaypur MLA Ram Niwas Rawat and Bina MLA Nirmala Sapre.