Shivraj Singh Chauhan cabinet expansion likely on Saturday, to add three members

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan appears all set to expand and reshuffle his Cabinet on Saturday by inducting as many as three new ministers. Sources in the chief minister's office (CMO) disclosed that the expansion is likely to be held at 9.30 am at Rajbhavan.
Delayed by almost a year, the cabinet expansion is aimed at balancing caste equation and satiate community voters ahead of assembly elections this year end.Chouhan had hinted last month to add a few names to his cabinet which at present can accommodate 6 ministers in the team.
"There are only eight months left for the assembly elections and the cabinet expansion would help the ruling party to balance the equation in some of the Congress dominated areas. This is purely a political rejig", said highly placed sources in the state BJP.
They also disclosed that BJP state in-charge and Rajya Sabha member, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is also likely to reach Bhopal on Friday night to attend the cabinet expansion. BJP state president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan when asked about the expansion said it was due since long.
"The cabinet expansion was due and in the pipeline since long time", Nandkumar told reporters after his brief meetings with the chief minister Chouhan and Governor Anandiben Patel, on Friday.
The government though, is yet to officially confirm the possible rejig, a team of senior officers including divisional commissioner Ajatshatru Shrivastava and IG police Jaideep Prasad visited Rajbhawan on Friday afternoon to take stock of the preparations for the proposed programme clearly indicating that the a rejig is on the cards. Sources said that only 300 dignitaries have been invited in the expansion ceremony.
Sources said that names doing rounds for the coveted cabinet seats include Gopilal Jatav, former minister of state for SCs welfare and MLA from Ashoknagar, Narayan Singh Kushwah, former MoS and MLA from Gwalior South, Sudershan Gupta, two time MLA from Indore-1. Names of Yashpal Singh Sisodia (Mandsaur), Ranjana Baghel from Manawar (Dhar), Mahendra Hardiya (Indore-5) and Ramesh Mendola (Indore-2) were also among the probable list.
Sources said that speculations were also on rife that a few ministers including Kusum Mehdele (PHE and Jail), Harsh Singh (MoS Water Resources), Sharad Jain (MoS Medical education) and Surya Prakash Meena (MoS horticulture) are likely to be dropped on the basis of performance and ill health but, there is no confirmation on any change.
Interestingly, during last visit, BJP president Amit Shah had raised questions for not including MLAs in the cabinet from areas where Congress leaders have their sway. Uttar Pradesh MoS for transport, Swatantra Dev Singh, who had been assigned the duty to tour these areas had suggested to include MLAs from Chhindwara, Guna and Jhabur-Ratlam in the state cabinet. The recent expansion list does not include any name from these districts, sources added.