Two Scindia loyalists back as ministers in MP Cabinet

Bhopal, January 3

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh Cabinet was expanded on Sunday with the induction of two loyalists of BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose exit from the Congress in March last year triggered the fall of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led dispensation in the state.

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to Tulsiram Silawat and Govind Rajput, who returned to the Cabinet after a gap of more than two months.

With their induction, the current strength of the state Cabinet has gone up to 31. The number of members in the council of ministers in MP cannot exceed 35.

During their brief oath-taking ceremony held at Raj Bhawan, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma and several ministers of the state Cabinet were present.

A public relations officer of Raj Bhawan on Sunday said the resignations of two other ministers — Imarti Devi and Girraj Dandotia — who lost the November 3 Assembly bypolls, had been accepted a few days ago.

Silawat and Rajput had been inducted into the Cabinet in April last year during its first expansion. However, they had to step down in October as they were not members of the state legislature because the Covid pandemic delayed the bypolls.

There is a provision that a non-MLA, who was inducted in the Cabinet, should get elected to the state Assembly within six months.

The second expansion of Chouhan’s Cabinet took place on July 2 last year with the induction of 28 ministers, including over 10 loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia. The first expansion was held on April 21 last year, wherein five ministers, including Silawat and Rajput, were inducted. — PTI