Nath expands cabinet, two women among 28 sworn in
BHOPAL: Chief minister Kamal Nath expanded his council of ministers on Tuesday by inducting 28 MLAS, including two women legislators and an Independent.governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to the new ministers.
The event was attended by senior Congress leaders, including party’s campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, ex-state president Arun Yadav were present as all the ministers took oath in Hindi. All of them were given cabinet ranks.
Of the 28 ministers, 27 are from the Congress, while Pradeep Jaiswal is a rebel Congress candidate who won from the Waraseoni constituency in tribal Balaghat district. The two women in the cabinet are Vijay Laxmi Sadho from Maheshwar, Khargone and Imarti Devi from Dabra, Gwalior. Arif Aqueel from Bhopal (north) is the only Muslim in the team.
As promised by Nath, the cabinet has tried to cater to both regional and caste equations. Of the 28 ministers, four are tribals – Bala Bachchan, Onkar Markam, Surendra Singh Baghel and Umang Singhar, while six are scheduled castes — Sajjan Singh Verma, Vijay Laxmi Sadho, Tulsi Silawat, Prabhu Ram Chowdhury, Lakhan Ghangoria and Imarti Devi.
Among others, Jaivardhan Singh, the MLA from Raghogarh and son of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, Kasrawad legislator Sachin Yadav, younger brother Arun Yadav, were also sworn in.
Those who got ministerial berths for the first time are Brijendra Singh Rathore (Prithvipur), Lakhan Singh Yadav (Bhitarwar), Govind Rajput (Surkhi), Omkar Markam (Dindori), Sukhdeo Panse (Multai), Harsh Yadav (Deori), Kamleshwar Patel (Sihawal), Lakhan Ghanghoriya (Jabalpur East), Tarun Bhanot (Jabalpur West), PC Sharma (Bhopal South-west), Surendra Singh Baghel (Kukshi), Jitu Patwari (Rau), Umang Singhar (Gandhwani), Pradyumn Singh Tomar (Gwalior), Mahendra Singh Sisodiya (Bamori) , Jaivardhan Singh (Raghogarh), Sachin Yadav (Kasrawad) and Priyavrat Singh (Khilchipur).