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Digvijay Singh buys peace with ministries

Rahul Singh in Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh on Wednesday went in for a long-awaited cabinet expansion, adding 11 ministers and promoting two to cabinet rank.

The exercise saw Digvijay Singh's arch rival Subhash Yadav being inducted as deputy chief minister. Three other old-timers, kept out when Singh returned to power for a second term in December 1998, also found places in the cabinet. They are: Hazarilal Raghuvanshi, Harbansh Singh and Rajendra Prasad Shukla.

Singh's government thus has two deputy chief ministers now -- Subhash Yadav and Jamuna Devi. Apparently, he has promoted Jamuna Devi, the senior-most member in his cabinet and a tribal, in a last-ditch attempt to balance Yadav's growing clout.

With this expansion, the effective strength of his ministry has gone up from 38 to 49. Besides the chief minister, there are 33 members of cabinet rank and 16 ministers of state.

One new cabinet minister, Mahendra Karma, could not take oath as he was unable to reach the Bhopal Raj Bhavan in time for the swearing-in.

Governor Bhai Mahavir administered the oath of office to the eight cabinet ministers and four ministers of state.

The Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha has a strength of 320. The ministry's strength has, thus, already exceeded the prescribed norm of 10 per cent. Now it is above 16 per cent.

The expansion has evoked protests from the Opposition. State BJP working president Vikram Verma lashed out at the chief minister for "increasing the burden on the state exchequer" and making a "mockery of austerity measures undertaken by the government."

Besides the four old veterans, the three other new cabinet ministers are: K.P.Singh, a former minister and MLA from Pichhore in Shivpuri district, Mahendra Karma, also a former minister and MLA from Dantewara in Bastar region, and Hiralal Silawat, the MLA from Pandhana in Khandwa district.

The two ministers of state who have been promoted to cabinet rank are: Civil Supplies Minister Arief Aqueel and Labour Minister Doman Singh Nagpure.

The four new ministers of state are: Satyendra Pathak, the MLA from Vijay Raghogarh in Katni district, Manvendra Singh from Bijawar in Chhatarpur district, Pratap Singh Uike from Ghora Dongri in Betul district, and Shivnarayan Meena from Chochoda in Rajgarh district.

The re-induction of the four Congress veterans is loaded with political significance. Singh had till now kept them out on the pretext that they had "tainted image" and the high command had forbidden any post for them.

The chief minister, however, on Wednesday defended his decision to include Yadav, Raghuvanshi, Shukla and Harbansh Singh. He told newsmen that there was "nothing against them." He also denied that in the past he had ever cast aspersions about their integrity.

Even more significant is his decision to bestow deputy chief ministership on Subhash Yadav. Yadav, known as the co-operative king of Madhya Pradesh, had launched a sustained campaign against the Madhya Pradesh government. He used to camp in Delhi, lobbying for Singh's ouster.

Yadav told newsmen that his agitation was not "against any particular person." Most of the issues raised by him, he said, had been settled. "There is no need to continue the agitation against the MP government," he said.

Obviously, the chief minister has decided to buy peace with his detractors. This is also clear from his decision to not to drop any of the non-performing minister or those who were accused of "corrupt deals." Singh, it would thus appear, does not want to fight the godfathers of these ministers in Delhi.

Singh's only vocal opponent now outside the ministry is the fiery MLA from Ujjain, Kalpana Parulekar.

Although no minister has been dropped, a massive reshuffle of portfolios seems to be on the cards. The former heavyweight ministers may insist on key portfolios. The chief minister may also allot less important portfolios to some of the 'non-performing' and 'corrupt' minnisters.

Which, of course, would lead to some fireworks.

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