CM in ‘no hurry’ to fill vacant cabinet post after Arya’s exit
Names of at least three Dalit BJP MLAs doing rounds for cabinet berth after exit of Arya, a noted Dalit leader of state
DEHRADUN: Amid speculation about replacement of former minister Yashpal Arya with another Dalit MLA in the state cabinet, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday hinted that the government was in no hurry to fill the ministerial vacancy.
Arya, who was a cabinet minister, joined the Congress on Monday along with his MLA son Sanjiv Arya. While being in the government, he had at least six departments with him including major ones like transport, excise and social welfare.
Dhami is now holding these portfolios.
Following defection of Arya, a Dalit leader, speculation is on in the BJP to replace him in which names of at least three Dalit MLAs, including Rajpur Road MLA Khajan Das, were being discussed.
On Saturday, Dhami was questioned by the media persons on the possible replacement of Arya in the cabinet while he was attending a government event in the state capital.
“As of now, his (Arya’s) departments have been shifted where they should be,” said Dhami in an apparent hint towards not having a replacement any time soon with just months left for the 2022 state assembly election.
However, a senior BJP leader privy to the developments said names of “at least three Dalit MLAs were in consideration for Arya’s replacement in the state cabinet”.
“The names include Rajpur Road MLA Khajan Das, Jawalapur MLA Sutesh Rathore and Bageshwar MLA Chandanram Das. The state leadership, including Dhami, had discussed these names before taking up the issue with the central leadership,” said the leader.
The leader said though there are just months left for the upcoming assembly election, but the party wanted to have a Dalit replacement for Arya to send a political message before the polls.
“Practically, it seems irrelevant to appoint a minister for just a couple of months before the election. But politically it sends an important message that the government has a Dalit representation in its cabinet. However, with Saturday’s comment of CM, it seems as of now there will be no new face in the cabinet,” said the leader.
When contacted, party state general secretary (organisation) Kuldeep Kumar didn’t say much on the names discussed for the ministerial vacancy but said, “It is a prerogative of the
CM and not the party. The decision to have a replacement lies completely with him.”
Political analysts, however, said that bringing a new face in the cabinet will “hardly make any difference ahead of election”.
“It is practically irrelevant because the model code of conduct will probably be implemented in December end of January starting.
“If the government appoints a new minister then he/she will spend these remaining two or three months in just understanding his departments. He will not be able to take any decision in his department,” said Jai Singh Rawat, political commentator.
Amid the reports of more defections from the BJP to the Congress, cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat and BJP MLA from Dehradun’s Raipur constituency Umesh Sharma Kau reached Delhi on Saturday morning.
Both Rawat and Kau, who were earlier in Congress, had joined the BJP in 2016 along with a few other Congress leaders which led to the collapse of the then Congress government led by Harish Rawat.
Following Arya’s return, all eyes were on Rawat considering his statements in the past few weeks which hinted towards his unhappiness in the BJP government.
On Saturday, the speculations were again strife after both Rawat and Kau departed for Delhi in the same flight in which leader of Opposition Pritam Singh was also present who is considered as the mind behind Arya’s return to the Congress which dealt a heavy blow to the ruling BJP considering the fact that Arya is a strong Dalit face in state politics.
Both Rawat and Kau couldn’t be contacted but leader of opposition Singh refuted any speculations on possible defections citing the presence of his wife along with him in the flight. “Mine is a completely personal visit to Delhi as my wife and I had to attend a family function. It was just a co-incidence that both (Rawat and Kau) happened to be in the same flight,” said Singh.