CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan allocates MP portfolios; Scindia's loyalists get key ministries

Eleven days after expansion of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday allocated portfolios to the new ministers, with BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia's supporters getting some of the key departments. The 28 new ministers who joined the Chouhan cabinet on July 2 include 20 of cabinet rank and eight ministers of state. The Chouhan ministry strength is now 34, including four women ministers.

Scindia loyalist Tulsi Silawat retained the water resources department and also got charge of the fisheries and fisheries development departments in the allocation on Monday while Govind Singh Rajput retained revenue and transport departments, official sources said. Silawat and Rajput were inducted into the cabinet in the first 'mini expansion' of the Chouhans ministry.

Scindia supporters Dr Prabhuram Choudhary got charge of the health and family welfare department, Pradyumna Singh Tomar got energy, Mahendra Singh Sisodia got panchayat and rural development while Imarti Devi got women and child development department.

Chouhan has kept the general administration, public relations, Narmada valley development, aviation and some other departments with himself. Senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra retained the Home department, but had to give up health to Scindia supporter Prabhuram Choudhary. Mishra also got charge of the parliamentary affairs and law departments on Monday.

Besides, Gopal Bhargava got the public works department and rural industries, Vijay Shah-forest, Jagdish Devda-finance and commercial tax, Bhupendra Singh-urban administration and development and Yashodhara Raje Scindia- sports and youth welfare. Kamal Patel, who was inducted during the first expansion earlier, retained farmers welfare and agriculture development departments.

From the Scindia camp, Bisahulal Singh got food and civil supplies and consumer protection, Aidal Singh Kansana- public health engineering, Hardeep Singh Dang new and renewable energy, Rajwardhan Singh Dattigaon-industrial policy and investment promotion, Brajendra Singh Yadav-public health engineering, Girraj Dandotia-farmers welfare and agriculture development, Suresh Dhakad-public works department and OPS Bhadoria-urban administration and development. Yadav, Dandotia, Dhakad and Bhadoria have been inducted as ministers of state (MoS).

The other BJP ministers include Dr Mohan Yadav, who got higher education department, Brajendra Pratap Singh- mineral resources and labour, Vishwas Sarang-medical education, Bhopal gas tragedy and relief, Prem Singh Patel- animal, social justice and divyang welfare, Om Prakash Saklecha-minor, small and medium enterprises and science and technology, Usha Thakur-tourism, culture and spiritual departments and Arvind Bhadoria-cooperatives and public service management.

Meena Singh Mandve, who was inducted during the mini expansion, retained the SC/ST welfare department. Ministers of State with independent charge Inder Singh Parmar got school education department, Ramkhelavan Patel- backward class and minorities welfare, Ram Kishore Kanvre- AYUSH and water resources and Bharat Singh Kushwaha-food processing and horticulture.

Chouhan took oath as chief minister for a record fourth term on March 23, after Kamal Nath resigned from the post following rebellion by 22 MLAs of the Congress. Out of the 22 MLAs who walked away with Scindia, 14 were inducted into the cabinet. All of them are not legislators at present and will have to contest bypolls. On Sunday, Congress MLA Pradyuman Singh Lodhi also quit the party and joined the BJP. In the 230-member state Assembly, 25 seats are currently lying vacant. Bypolls to these seats are necessitated due to the resignation of 23 leaders from their Assembly membership and death of two sitting legislators.