Gehlot, Joshi discuss cabinet expansion

JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to expand his cabinet after January 15. Gehlot, who returned from Delhi on Wednesday evening, after meeting the high command, held discussions with PCC president CP Joshi at the latter's residence in the city on Thursday. According to sources, the high command had given Gehlot a free hand for the expansion.
In Delhi, Gehlot attended the chief ministers' conference on internal security, after which he met party's senior leaders. The high command has given him the green signal for the expansion of the ministry. However, Gehlot wants to take the party's state leadership into confidence before going for the expansion.
On Thursday morning, on his way back from the opening ceremony of Stonemart in Sitapura, he called on CP Joshi at his residence in Malviya Nagar. According to sources, the chief minister discussed probable names with the PCC president as the formation of the full cabinet is the top priority for him after winning the trust vote. But the new ministers will be sworn-in only after January 15 as dates before it are not considered auspicious, said sources.
The urgency was felt as a reshuffle in the higher echelons of the bureaucracy has been kept pending as the full ministry was yet to be sworn-in. "The bureaucratic reshuffle has been kept in abeyance as the ministers may have their own choice of officials for their departments. The delay has affected the administration as the present secretaries are not taking any initiatives except attending the routine administrative works. They have adopted a policy of wait and watch' till the priorities of the new government is clear with a full-fledged minister in charge.
Besides, with Lok Sabha elections just a few months away, the government has to start work on the promises made to the people. As of now, the chief minister has kept with him all the important portfolios. The challenge before Gehlot is to assemble a team balancing regional, caste and religious aspirations. Added to these is the talent crunch, as most of the MLAs have no administrative experience.