BJP-JJP govt in Haryana expands cabinet, leaves many perplexed
Dushyant sheds archaeology and museums portfolio for JJP minister Dhanak
CHANDIGARH: More than a fortnight after the newly stitched BJP-JJP coalition formed the government in Haryana, governor Satyadeo Narain Arya on Thursday administered oath of office and secrecy to 10 more MLAs as ministers at Raj Bhavan, taking the number of ministers in the council of ministers to 12. Both Khattar and Dushyant Chautala were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on October 27. There can be a maximum of 13 ministers including the chief minister in Haryana as per the 15% cap stipulated under Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution. The ministers were also allocated portfolios in the evening.
The inductions though has left a lot to be desired even as chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar tried to work out a caste and regional balance. Many of the faces sworn in on Thursday left the BJP cadres perplexed. The Council of Ministers now has four Jat ministers, three ministers from the backward classes, two from the scheduled castes, two Punjabis and one Brahmin minister. There is not a single minister from the Vaish community. Among the 10 ministerial berths filled up on Thursday, the BJP got eight while its post-poll ally, the JJP got one. An Independent MLA, Ranjit Singh was also inducted in the cabinet.
Six MLAs — Anil Vij, Kanwar
Pal, Mool Chand Sharma, JP Dalal and Banwari Lal ( all BJP) and Ranjit Singh (Independent) — were given the status and rank of senior cabinet ministers while the remaining four – OP Yadav, Kamlesh Dhanda, Sandeep Singh (all BJP) and Anoop Dhanak (JJP) — were given the rank of ministers of state with independent charge.
A number of senior MLAs from the BJP camp — Kamal Gupta, Seema Trikha, Abhe Singh Yadav — did not make it as members of the council of ministers despite having strong claims on the basis of seniority. From the JJP camp, the exclusion of Narnaund MLA, Ram Kumar Gautam came as a surprise. Among the surprise inclusions in the cabinet were BJP MLAs — JP Dalal (Loharu), woman MLA, Kamlesh Dhanda (Kalayat), former India hockey skipper Sandeep Singh (Pehowa) and Independent
MLA from Rania, Ranjit Singh. Dalal, Sandeep and Ranjit, sources said, were the choices of BJP’s central high command.
AMONG 10 MINISTERIAL BERTHS FILLED ON THURSDAY, BJP GOT 8 WHILE ITS POST-POLL ALLY GOT ONE
CASTE AND REGION MATRIX
Anil Vij is a Punjabi -Khatri from Ambala Cantt and Banwari Lal belongs to a scheduled caste from Bawal in Rewari. Kanwar Pal is a Gujjar from Jagadhri in Yamunanagar, Mool Chand Sharma is a Brahmin from Ballabhgarh in Faridabad, JP Dalal is a Jat from Loharu in Bhiwani and Ranjit Singh is a Jat from Rania in Sirsa. OP Yadav is an Ahir from Narnaul in southern Haryana, Kamlesh Dhanda is a Jat from Kalayat in Kaithal, Anoop Dhanak comes from a scheduled caste and is from Uklana in Hisar and Sandeep Singh is a backward class Sikh from Pehowa.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Anil Vij on Thursday emerged as a big gainer by bagging the coveted home portfolio, which was held by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the previous term. Vij was also allocated the portfolios of urban local bodies, health, medical education, Ayush, technical education and science and technology. A six-time MLA, Vij had felt slighted in 2014 when despite his seniority, he was not given any plum portfolios as cabinet minister and was ranked at number five in the order of precedence.
Since the home portfolio in Haryana is generally held by the chief minister, its allocation to Vij has put him in a select band of a few former ministers who independently held the department.
Chief minister ML Khattar on whose advise the governor had allocated 11 portfolios, including seven top-of-the-line departments to deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday, is now in-charge of finance, town and country planning, irrigation, public health engineering, general administration, personnel and training, administration of justice, environment, housing, information and public relations, electronics and information technology, elections, architecture and Raj Bhavan affairs.
The biggest loser in terms of portfolio allocation was Anoop
Dhanak of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), who was allocated the portfolios of archaeology and museums as minister of state (independent charge) and labour and employment as minister of state (attached with the deputy chief minister). Dhanak is the only minister from JJP camp in the council of ministers, besides deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.
Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala has shed only a rather insignificant archaeology and museums portfolio for reallocation to Anoop Dhanak. Dushyant has retained excise and taxation, industries and commerce, revenue and disaster management, public works (building & roads), development and panchayats, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, labour and employment, civil aviation, rehabilitation and consolidation departments.
Besides the chief minister ML Khattar, deputy chief minister Dusyant Chautala and cabinet minister Anil Vij have emerged as the most powerful ministers after the portfolio allocation.
Independent MLA from Rania, Ranjit Singh who was sworn in as a cabinet rank minister, was allocated the power, new and renewable energy and jails portfolios. Former assembly speaker, Kanwar Pal who got a cabinet berth this time was assigned education, parliamentary affairs, forests, tourism and hospitality portfolios while first time minister Mool Chand Sharma was given transport, mines and geology, skill development and industrial training; and art and cultural affairs.
First-time MLA JP Dalal was allocated agriculture, animal husbandry and dairying, fisheries, law and legislative departments while second-time minister Banwari Lal was allocated the portfolios of cooperation and welfare of SCs and BCs.
Among the ministers of state (independent charge), former India hockey captain Sandeep Singh was allocated the sports and youth affairs portfolio besides printing and stationery while OP Yadav was allocated social justice and empowerment and Sainik and Ardh Sainik welfare departments. First time MLA Kamlesh Dhanda was given the charge of women and child development and archives.
SINCE THE HOME
PORTFOLIO IN HARYANA IS GENERALLY HELD BY THE CM, ITS ALLOCATION TO VIJ HAS PUT HIM IN A SELECT BAND OF A FEW FORMER MINISTERS WHO INDEPENDENTLY HELD THE DEPARTMENT