Shivraj Singh Chouhan Inducts Scindia's Loyalists In Cabinet Expansion, Latter Urges His MLAs To Fulfill Responsibilities Given By CM

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expanded his cabinet once again. He has inducted MLA Tulsiram Silawat and Surkhi MLA Govind Rajput. Both MLAs are former ministers and loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia.

They had switched to the BJP from the Congress last year during March.

Jyotiraditya Scindia had left the Congress last year along with 22 MLAs. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on his father Madhavrao Scindia's birthday along with his loyalists last year in March.

Silawat and Rajput were taken in as ministers in the first cabinet expansion which was held on 21 April 2020. They had to resign in September after the completion of six months because they had not been elected.

Then, they won the by-polls held in 2020. They have returned to the cabinet. Their return to the cabinet is an expected event.

This round of cabinet expansion has come nearly two months after the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Chouhan firmed its position in the assembly polls.

It won 19 out of 28 seats in the bypolls held in the state. This development took the tally of the BJP to 126 in the house of 230.

A section of the Left-inclined media sees it as Chouhan's chance to "assert himself".

Scindia's language suggests otherwise.

In the four cabinet berths left vacant by Chouhan, none has gone to Scindia loyalists or to older BJP leaders. Three of the MLAs among his loyalists lost the bypoll. These are Imarti Devi, Girraj Dandotiya and Adal Singh Kansana.

The first cabinet expansion under Chouhan reportedly saw five loyalists of Scindia being inducted (including the two who have been re- inducted in the third as elected members); the second saw a dozen of his loyalists inducted.

Scindia has been expressing his support for Chouhan in political interactions as well as his light hearted posts on Twitter.

Scindia also makes it clear in his statements to the media that there are no camps within the party and that all are workers of the BJP.