Khattar Cabinet: BJP, JJP weigh caste factor

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 28

After the swearing-in of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Diwali, the BJP and the JJP are now weighing various caste and regional combinations to pick MLAs to be inducted into the Council of Ministers.

The CM today rushed to New Delhi to hold deliberations with the party high command on the issue.

The inclusion of six-time MLA from Ambala Cantonment Anil Vij, a Punjabi, and former Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar, an OBC leader, seems to be a foregone conclusion. 

Former minister Banwari Lal (Bawal), one of the two ministers to have won the elections, could make it from the Dalit quota. With three prominent BJP Jat faces—Capt Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar, who were ministers,  and party chief Subhash Barala — defeated, the BJP will have a tough time zeroing in on a Jat face for a ministerial berth. Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat, rural), two-time MLA, could make it to the Khattar cabinet from among Jats. Similarly, Seema Trikha, re-elected from Badkhal, could make it to the cabinet from women quota. She is also a Punjabi and married into a Brahmin family.

From the Aggarwal community, Kamal Gupta (Hisar), Gian Chand Gupta (Panchkula) and Ghanshyam Saraf (Bhiwani) seem to be the front-runners. Khattar close aide Deepak Mangla (Palwal) is also in the race. Loss of Ram Bilas Sharma, prominent Brahmin face in the BJP, could pave the way for Mool Chand Sharma, a second-time MLA from Ballabhgarh.

Other contenders from the party included Subhash Sudha (Thanesar), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda) and Deepak Mangla (Palwal).

Sources said JJP’s Ram Kumar Gautam, a prominent Brahmin face of the party who defeated Finance Minister Capt Abhimany from Narnaud, could be a Brahmin face in the Cabinet. Ishwar Singh (Guhla Cheeka) could be the representative of the Scheduled Caste community. With Sirsa legislator Gopa Kanda out of contention, Independent MLA from Rania Ranjit Singh Chautala could make it to the Cabinet. A couple of Independents extending support to the government can be accommodated either as junior ministers or chairmen of boards and corporations.

Those in Reckoning

• Punjabis: Anil Vij, Seema Trikha, Subhash Sudha
• Aggarwals: Kamal Gupta, Ghanshyam Saraf, Gian Chand Gupta, Deepak Mangla
• OBCs: Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Harvinder Kalyan, Abhe Singh Yadav
• Brahmins: Mool Chand Sharma (BJP), Ram Kumar Gautam (JJP)
• Scheduled Castes: Banwari Lal (BJP), Ishwar Singh (JJP)