The much-awaited State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been expanded on Saturday. Three new ministers, as ‘The Hitavada’s’ report predicted earlier, named Rajendra Shukla, Gaurishankar Bisen and Rahul Lodhi took oath on Saturday at a function in Raj Bhawan. The move has been taken just a couple of months ahead of Assembly polls scheduled at the end of the year.

 

According to the sources, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the Governor Mangubhai Patel late at night and subsequently in the morning at 8.45, a swearing-in ceremony was held. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Mangubhai Patel at the Raj Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and many other senior leaders.

 

This exercise can be seen as an attempt to balance caste equations and address regional participation issues. These leaders are from Mahakoshal, Vindhya and Bundelkhand. MLA from Rewa, Rajendra Shukla, a former minister and Brahmin leader from Vindhya region while Chairman of the MP Backward Class Commission, Gaurishankar Bisen is a legislator from Balaghat in the Mahakoshal region. Lodhi, a first-time MLA from Khargapur in Tikamgarh district in the Bundelkhand region, is the nephew of senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Uma Bharti. With this the size of the Cabinet in the State reached to 33 and one berth is still lying vacant in the 230 seats Assembly. Now, four ministers are from Vindhya region, While Mahakoshal has two and from Bundelkhand, there are five ministers. Last time, the Cabinet reshuffle took in the year 2021. In 2022, there were talks of expansion in the State in the political circle but internal tussle within the party delayed the exercise.