Cabinet expansion imminent
Aspirants begin lobbying
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 27 — The long-awaited move to expand the Punjab Council of Ministers seems to be round the corner. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, gave a clear indication to this effect during his visit to Ludhiana yesterday. And for the first time in a long, long time, he sounded business-like on the issue.

He said the expansion would take place immediately after the annual elections of office-bearers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The SGPC elections which generally take place towards the close of November, have been scheduled for November 10 so as to carry out the expansion as early as possible.

The severe drubbing the ruling SAD-BJP combine has received during the recent parliamentary elections in the state has driven home the point that the party leadership can no longer take for granted the unqualified support of the rank and file. The discontent in the party has to be stemmed immediately. It has been realised that as part of the damage-control exercise, important partymen will have to be "accommodated" suitably in the ministry or elsewhere as quickly as possible.

Not unexpectedly, the move has caused a flutter among those aspiring for a ministerial berth. They have begun to lobby vigorously.

The Badal ministry at present has seven "vacancies". Five ministers belonging to the Tohra faction resigned in December last year. They were Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, Mr Surjit Singh Kohli and Mr Harmel Singh. Another minister, Mr Sarup Singh, died last year. Bibi Jagir Kaur, resigned earlier this year to become President of the SGPC.

Therefore, Mr Badal has to induct at least seven more ministers in his Council of Ministers. It remains to be seen whether Mr Badal exceeds this number as there is no dearth of ministerial aspirants in the SAD as well as the BJP. At least three important districts of Punjab are not represented in the Council of Ministers. These are Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Mansa. Ludhiana was represented by Mr Mahesh Singh Grewal but he resigned last year after he threw his lot with Mr Tohra.

Ludhiana is the biggest city of Punjab with a population exceeding 25 lakh. It is, therefore, certain that Mr Badal will include an MLA from the district. The BJP has only one MLA from Ludhiana, Mr Sat Pal Gosain, who is regarded as a front-runner for the ministerial berth.

The Akali Dal has two MLAs, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha and Mr Bhag Singh Malha. But party sources here say that neither is likely to make it to the ministry for different reasons: one has a rather controversial background and the other is a political novice. Therefore, Mr Gosain may well be included into the ministry.

Mr Gosain, however, is said to be facing opposition from rivals within his own party. He has a rival in Mr Tikshan Sood from Hoshiarpur and Mr Jagdish Sahni from Gurdaspur district. His supporters point out that a megacity like Ludhiana can not be ignored by the Chief Minister. Therefore, Mr Gosain's claim is "irrefutable".