Khattar in Delhi to discuss Cabinet list

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8

With BJP’s top leadership free from Maharashtra affairs to an extent after Devendra Fadnavis’s appointment as acting CM, the focus has now shifted to the Cabinet expansion in Haryana.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who was to return to Chandigarh after his two-day sojourn to Delhi, rushed back to the national capital today after finishing his programmes in Karnal.

The Tribune has learnt that Khattar is scheduled to meet BJP president Amit Shah late in the evening for his nod to the list of ministers though he has already discussed the issue with the party’s working president JP Nadda and some other leaders.

Khattar had taken oath as CM on Diwali (October 27) along with Dushyant Chautala of the JJP who took oath as Deputy CM.

 Khattar had to hold his first Cabinet meeting with only Dushyant Chautala as his minister. Even the first Assembly session of the new government was a lacklustre affair without any zero hour, question hours or calling attention motion in the absence of ministers.

The MLAs of the ruling party, JJP and Independents who are aspiring to become ministers are also getting restive as almost two weeks have passed since the formation of 

the government.

Sources said that Khattar is likely to get Centre’s nod for the new ministers soon and the oath ceremony is likely by Monday.

Khattar’s job to pick the ministers for his Cabinet for his second term as CM has become easier as well as difficult. It is easier because nine senior ministers, including the state BJP chief Subhash Barala have lost their election, leaving Khattar with a lot of vacancies to fill from the aspirants.

However, the task is difficult, too, because it is going to be a tightrope walk for Khattar to accommodate aspirants from all the communities as well giving representation to women within the permissible limit of 13 ministers, including the CM and deputy CM.

Among the BJP MLAs, inclusion of former minister Anil Vij and former Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar in the Cabinet is being considered a certainty.

From the JJP side, Ram Kumar Gautam, who defeated Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu, is the front runner for the Cabinet post while Guhla MLA Ishwar Singh or Uklana MLA Anoop Dhanak could also get a spot under the Dalit quota.