Dhami, Mahendra Bhatt in Delhi amid cabinet expansion buzz
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 19 Mar: Amid growing discussions about cabinet expansion in Uttarakhand, significant political developments have emerged. Following the resignation of Cabinet Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt have left for Delhi. Sources claim that several BJP MLAs have also rushed to the national capital, fuelling speculations that cabinet expansion could be imminent once the high command gives its approval.
The current Delhi visit of CM Dhami is his second after Prem Chand Aggarwal’s resignation. According to sources, he is on a two-day trip and will remain in Delhi tomorrow as well. BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt is also in Delhi, though it is being said Bhatt has gone to Delhi to attend Rajya Sabha proceedings.
Political analysts believe that CM Dhami is in continuous talks with the party’s central leadership regarding the “imminent” cabinet reshuffle. During his stay in Delhi, he is expected to meet senior BJP leaders, and key decisions regarding the cabinet expansion may be taken.
While the speculation regarding a cabinet expansion and reshuffle has been going on for long, it now appears imminent in the wake of the resignation of Cabinet Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal.
Apart from CM Dhami and Mahendra Bhatt, several BJP MLAs have also reached Delhi, possibly to lobby for ministerial berths. Sources claimed that among those who have reached Delhi include Pradeep Batra (Roorkee MLA), Madan Kaushik (Haridwar MLA), Asha Nautiyal (Kedarnath MLA), Vinod Kandhari (Devprayag MLA), Pritam Singh Panwar (Dhanaulti MLA), Khajan Das (Rajpur Road MLA), Arvind Pandey (Gadarpur MLA) and Shiv Arora (Rudrapur MLA).
Following Prem Chand Aggarwal’s resignation, five ministerial positions are currently vacant in Uttarakhand and according to political observers, a cabinet expansion soon has now become imminent. Uttarakhand can have up to 12 ministers, but CM Dhami is currently handling over 50 important departments alone. Speculation is rife not only about new appointments but also the possible removal of certain ministers though political analysts assert that this does not appear likely, although a reshuffle in portfolios has become necessary.
Sources further claimed that the names of Munna Singh Chauhan, Vinod Chamoli, Madan Kaushik, Vinod Kandari, Asha Nautiyal and Shiv Arora are being discussed as possible new ministers.
