BHUBANESWAR: State in-charge of BJP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar on Monday said that there is no immediate plan for Cabinet expansion of the state government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
After the thanksgiving ceremony for party workers and leaders involved with the just-concluded by-election to Nuapada at the state party office here, Tomar told reporters that a decision of Cabinet expansion may be taken after completion of pending organisational restructuring.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi can induct six more ministers in his cabinet which is currently having 15 ministers including two deputy chief ministers, eight Cabinet-rank ministers and five ministers of state with independent charge.
In September, state BJP president Manmohan Samal had ruled out the possibility of Cabinet expansion, possibly keeping an eye on the Nuapada by-election.
Tomar, however, said appointment of chairpersons to state-run corporations and boards will be made soon. He said the party has finalised the list which is awaiting approval of the central leadership.
The BJP government in the state has completed more than 17 months in office but key positions in majority of state PSUs and boards are lying vacant despite several attempts by the state leadership to fill up the posts.
Sources in the party said that the first priority, however, is restructuring of the state executive committee and all frontal organisations. There is possibility of a change of few morcha presidents who have been continuing for long. Attributing the delay in finalising the state’s list for political appointments to corporations and boards to Bihar election, the sources said, it may take more time in view of the upcoming winter session of the Parliament and the State Assembly.
After election of Manmohan Samal as state unit president for a record fourth time on July 8, he took more than two months to announce new office-bearers. As many aspirants of the party are eyeing key positions within organisations and government set-up, the leadership is finding it difficult to satisfy all factions within the party, sources said.