Late minister Haji Ansari’s son inducted in Hemant Cabinet
Hafizul Ansari is not a member of J’khand legislative assembly yet; one berth in the 12-member cabinet still vacant
RANCHI: Hafizul Ansari, son of former Jharkhand minority welfare minister Haji Hussain Ansari, who died in October last year, was inducted in the Hemant Soren Cabinet on Friday.
Governor Draupadi Murmu administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a ceremony at Raj Bhawan in Ranchi in the presence of chief minister (CM) Hemant Soren, his Cabinet colleagues, Rajya Sabha MP and JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, besides members of the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD combine.
Haji Ansari, a four-term legislator from Madhupur in Santhal Pargana division of the state, had died of heart attack on October 3, a day after recovering from Covid-19 at a private hospital here.
In a sudden move, CM Soren decided to induct Haji Ansari’s son, who is not yet a member of the Jharkhand legislative assembly, as the 10th member of his Cabinet. However, one berth in the 12-member Jharkhand cabinet continues to remain vacant.
Constitutional provisions allow an unelected member to be sworn in as a minister, but the person is expected to become a member of the assembly within six months of becoming a minister.
“The government is functioning keeping in mind the sentiments of people at large. The appointment has been done as per constitutional provisions and political scenario,” CM Soren told media persons after the ceremony.
When asked if the move was political, keeping an eye on prospects in Madhupur bypoll, the CM said he would leave the answer to that to interpretation.
By-election for Madhupur assembly seat is likely to be held anytime before April, and Hafizul is now all set to enter the fray as a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate. Madhupur has traditionally witnessed a direct electoral battle between the JMM and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Since 1995, Haji Ansari had won the assembly seat four times, while the BJP won the seat in 2005 and 2014.
Sources in the ruling JMM said besides bettering Hafizul’s prospects in the bypoll, his induction in the Cabinet would also settle push and pull of several legislators, both in the JMM and the Congress, trying to make an entry into the Cabinet. The third ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had also been demanding the seat in the bypoll.
“The electorate in Madhupur would now be clear that they would be electing a minister in Ansari and not merely a legislator. He is set to get electoral benefits. Also, since Haji Ansari’s demise, other minority legislators had been pushing their case to make an entry into the Cabinet. Now, that chapter closes with this appointment,” said a senior JMM leader.
According to sources, JMM legislator Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was in the Congress earlier, and Congress legislator Irfan Ansari were eying a Cabinet berth. However, their hopes would not die anytime soon, as one berth in the Cabinet is still vacant.
As per constitutional mandate, Jharkhand can have 12 members in its Cabinet, including the CM.
Besides the CM, the team currently has 10 members---five from JMM, four from Congress and one from RJD. The 12th berth has remained vacant ever since the government took over the reins in December 2019 from Raghubar Das.
The opposition BJP took a pot shot at the ruling combine over the fresh induction, accusing it of doublespeak.
“When in opposition, they accused the Raghubar Das government of acting unconstitutionally for keeping one berth vacant. They even went to the court over the issue. And now, they are doing the same thing. Moreover, they have inducted a non-member into the Cabinet, but had targeted us in a similar situation. They have shown their double standards and people can see through it,” said Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.
They (ruling party) have inducted a non-member into the Cabinet, but had targeted us in a similar situation. PRATUL SHAHDEO, state BJP spokesperson