CM in Delhi, may talk expansion

JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot left for Delhi on Monday afternoon to attend the chief ministers' meet on internal security convened by the Prime Minister on Tuesday. According to official sources, the chief minister has no other official engagement in Delhi and will be back in Jaipur by Tuesday night.
However, sources pointed out that Gehlot may use the occasion to consult the party high command on future expansion of the cabinet.The present cabinet has only 11 ministers and two ministers of state and the chief minister had kept with himself many important portfolios leaving scope for further expansion.
Chief minister Gehlot had already announced that the cabinet would be expanded after the government wins the trust vote. With seven Independent members already having been accommodated as ministers or parliamentary secretaries, which ensured a smooth sail for his government in the during the trust vote on Saturday. The remaining slot of 17 ministerial berths (the maximum strength of cabinet can be 30) may naturally be going to the Congress members.
The chief minister however has to keep in mind the regional and caste equations while embarking on filling up the rest of berths in the ministry. According to Congress sources, Gehlot also likely to effect a reshuffle the portfolios before the full cabinet is in place.
Unlike during the BJP regime with almost all districts given representation in the ministry Gehlot is hamstrung by the limitations of hung assembly and non representation.
According to Congress sources apart from Duru Miya no minority representation has been given in the cabinet. Gehlot may induct Zahida or Bhanwaru Khan MLA from Fathepur as a minister. In the case of Zahida it will serve both the purpose of women as well as Muslim representation in the cabinet.
The tribal dominated Mewar region had paid good harvest to the Congress. Having been accommodated Rahuveer Singh Meena as the deputy chief whip of the Congress, the ministerial berth form Udaipur district may go to Dayaram Parmar while Surendra Singh Vamnia, son of late Congress veteran Bhika Bai may get a ministerial berth from Dungarpur district. In Chittorgarh Badi Sadri MLA Prakash Chaudhary has a fair chance to become a minister while from Bhilwara Ashok Gehlot accolade Ramlal Jat is all set become a minister for the first time.
From Ajmer district Rahu Sharma is likely to be inducted in to the cabinet while Mahendra Gujjar the MLA from Nazirabad also may get a minister of state rank. However the cabinet minister from the Gujjar community may go to Dr Jitendra Singh.
In Jaipur city Pratap Singh Kachariyawas may be inducted as a mister of state while in the Hadauti region Pramod Jain Bhaya could be another ministerial probable. Bharosilal Jatav the lone Congress MLA from Hindoun in Karouli district is also a ministrial probable.
In the Bikaner division with most of the Congress stalwarts biting the dust at the hustings and Virednra Beniwal has been made the Chief whip Mangalram Godara has a chance to get a ministerial berth. Another ministerial probable form the region is Dr Pram Navneet MLA from Sangaria who may be inducted as a minister of state.