BHOPAL: With 13 out of the 34 ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government being from among the 22 former Congress MLAs who scripted the fall of Kamal Nath government in March, the ruling BJP made it amply clear on Thursday about the 24 bulk assembly by-polls being first on its mind.
Importantly, 22 of the 24 assembly by-polls whose dates are yet to be announced have been necessitated by the resignation of the 22 MLAs in March, most of who will be BJP candidates in the by-elections.
“Making 13 of them ministers is a clear cut signal to the people in their constituencies that they are being empowered to work for their people ahead of the by-polls,” a BJP leader told The New Indian Express.
Enthused by the BJP meeting it’s commitment of making his loyalists’ ministers, the newly-elected Rajya Sabha member and former union minister threw an open challenge to his former party Congress. “For the last two months sustained character assassination efforts are going on, let me tell them, it’s time for them to get what they deserve. Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai,” said Scindia after the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.
With 16 out of the 24 bulk assembly by-polls to be held in seats of Gwalior-Chambal region, the BJP sent a clear-cut message of empowerment to the region, by inducting 13 ministers from that region – despite the party having performed the worst in that region in 2018 assembly polls.
Inducting nine ministers (including many fresh faces) from Malwa-Nimar region too was another clarion message that BJP wanted to regain its lost ground in the belt which has long been BJP-RSS nucleus, particularly when five out of the 24 assembly by-polls are to be held in that region only.
Uma Bharti not happy with cabinet expansion
Former CM and ex-union minister Uma Bharti (who is among one of the senior-most BJP leaders from MP), meanwhile, reportedly isn’t happy with the cabinet expansion, particularly as it has not addressed her suggestions to include MLAs from Bundelkhand region and legislators from her Lodhi OBC caste, which is a sizeable vote bank in Bundelkhand and Central MP.
According to key sources in the BJP, Bharti has reportedly written about it to the BJP national vice president in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Vinay Sahastrabudhe and state BJP president VD Sharma.
Bharti, who is UP presently, when quizzed by journalists over the issue on Thursday, said “whatever I’ve to say, I’ll say in Bhopal.”
In Indore, meanwhile, supporters of the three-time BJP MLA from Indore-II seat Ramesh Mendola have started expressing resentment in social media against Mendola not being included in the expanded council of ministers. Mendola is seen as a close confidant of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, but despite all efforts by Vijayvargiya, Mendola couldn’t make it to the council of ministers. Instead Mhow legislator Usha Thakur got cabinet berth, particularly due to blessings of the RSS and party organization.
Party insiders also fear future resentment in the Vindhya region, which was swept by the BJP in 2018 polls, but still has got just one minister of state berth in form of Ram Khelawan Patel, the MLA from Amarpatan in Satna district.