20 to 25 new members likely to join Chouhan ministry in Madhya Pradesh

Around 20 to 25 new members, including some former Congress MLAs who joined the BJP in March, are likely to be inducted in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cabinet in its second round of expansion that is expected soon, sources in the ruling party said on Monday.

The sources said 14 to 15 BJP MLAs and around nine former Congress legislators, who joined the saffron party in March, are likely to get ministerial berths.

Chouhan flew to New Delhi on Sunday to hold consultations with the central BJP leadership over the much-talked about cabinet expansion, they said.

Chouhan last week said the expansion of the state cabinet will take place soon. The initial 'mini' expansion of the cabinet took place on April 21 with the induction of five ministers, nearly a month after Chouhan took oath as the chief minister for a record fourth term.

Among these five ministers, two were former Congress MLAs The BJP came to power in March after Kamal Nath resigned as chief minister following rebellion by nearly two dozen MLAs of the Congress.

Most of these rebel MLAs were considered close to former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP more than three months ago.

Meanwhile, according to Rajya Bhavan sources, the visit of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, who has been given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh, to Bhopal on Monday has been postponed.