M A I N   N E W S

CM not to induct Sukh Ram
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 20 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has said that he was not in a hurry to recast his ministerial team and would consult the BJP high command before accepting the resignations of his ministers.

Mr Dhumal told reporters here today that he has not yet forwarded the resignations of the ministers to the Governor.

He said that all aspects will be considered before going ahead on the issue.

Mr Dhumal ruled out re-induction of the HVC chief, Mr Sukh Ram, in his ministry as the cases of alleged corruption against him have not yet been decided by the courts. He said that the reasons for which Mr Sukh Ram had resigned from the ministry sometime ago still prevailed and the situation has not changed.

He said that the resignations were not pre-planned and the move of the minister was spontaneous to give him a free hand to recast his ministerial team.

Ripples have been created in the political circles here with all ministers and chairmen of various boards and corporations submitting their resignations to Mr Dhumal to enable him to recast his two years old ministry. They congratulated Mr Dhumal for having converted the BJP to a majority party in the Assembly from its earlier weak position.

Observers were taken by surprise when the resignations were submitted to Mr Dhumal last evening in a joint meeting of the legislature parties of the BJP and the HVC.

However, from the HVC side neither the party chief, Mr Sukh Ram and nor the Rural Development Minister, Mr Ram Lal Markanda, participated in the meeting although they were reportedly invited to do so. Only Mr Mohinder Singh, PWD minister, who has been suspended from the HVC, attended the meeting and was the first to submit his resignation.

When contacted on the telephone at Delhi this afternoon, Mr Sukh Ram told TNS that he was not consulted by the Chief Minister over the issue of resignations.

On the other hand, Mr Dhumal told reporters that the resignations were not pre-planned and he himself was taken by surprise when the Revenue Minister, Mr Rajan Sushant, mooted the idea of submitting the resignations to provide a free hand to the CM to recast his ministry and others followed him.

Mr Sukh Ram said that the HVC will participate in the reconstituted ministry and will also continue its support to the Dhumal government.

He said that he was very clear in his mind not to accept any ministerial berth until the cases against him were settled in the court.

When asked about the demand for his inclusion in the ministry made recently by some of his partymen, Mr Sukh Ram said that he cannot stop people from making such demand and most probably the demand came in view of the remarks of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, that the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani and the Human Resource Development Minister, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi, could not be removed from the Cabinet just on the basis of FIRs.

On the other hand, Mr Mohinder Singh said that he stood by Mr Dhumal and was not hungry for chair.

Meanwhile, there were indications that Mr Dhumal might utilise the opportunity to drop some ministers and change the portfolios of a few with whose performance he was not very much satisfied. He had sometime ago said that he was watching the performance of his ministerial colleagues.

Moreover, significance is also being attached to the development in view of some of the ministers belonging to the Shanta Kumar faction having held separate closed door meetings a few months ago and expressing discontent over the style of Mr Dhumal’s functioning.

Many of the ministers did not attend their offices in the secretariat today. Mr Sushant and Mr Narendera Bragta, Horticulture Minister, accompanied Mr Dhumal at a function of the fire services department at the Ridge.

Mr Markanda submitted his resignation this morning after having reportedly discussed the issue with Mr Sukh Ram on telephone at Delhi.