Chhattisgarh Cabinet Expansion Soon, Says CM Sai

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday said the state cabinet will be expanded soon and it will comprise both old and new faces. He was talking to reporters at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur after returning from New Delhi.

Sai took oath as the state's chief minister on December 13. "Yesterday evening I went to Delhi. I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda there and held some discussions.

The state cabinet will be expanded very soon," Sai said. Asked about the induction of new faces in the cabinet, the CM said, "It will be a mix bag of old and new faces. We will have to wait for a bit for the cabinet (expansion) but it will be done soon."

On the BJP's promise to procure 21 quintal paddy per acre at the rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal as the paddy purchase exercise is underway, Sai said the promise made under 'Modi ki Guarantee' (referring to his party's poll manifesto) will be fulfilled. The payment and procurement will be done as per the promise, he added.

Sai took oath as the state's chief minister last week along with two deputy CMs Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma. Ten more members can be inducted into the cabinet. As per constitutional norms, Chhattisgarh, which has a 90-member assembly, can have a maximum of 13 ministers, including the CM.

The names of Brijmohan Agrawal and Amar Agrawal (both from general category), Dharamlal Kaushik and Ajay Chandrakar (OBC), Kedar Kashyap and Vikram Usendi (Scheduled Tribe), Dayaldas Baghel (Scheduled Caste) and Rajesh Munat (Jain community) are doing the rounds as probable ministers in the Sai cabinet.

Except Dharamlal Kaushik, all these leaders served as ministers in the previous BJP governments in the state. The names of IAS officer-turned-politician OP Chaudhary, Gajendra Yadav (both OBC) and Domanlal Korsewada (SC) have also been discussed in political circles as potential fresh faces.

Among women leaders, the names of former Union minister Renuka Singh, ex-MP Gomti Sai and former state minister Lata Usendi are doing the rounds. All the three hail from tribal communities.