Dhumal may rejig cabinet in Sept,drop 2 ministers

Sources said the cabinet rejig will give berths to those MLAs,who could not be accommodated earlier as the size of the ministry,including the chief minister,cannot exceed 12.

Sources said Dhumal,who has already not appointed a forest minister after J P Nadda’s elevation as the all-India general secretary of the party,may drop at least two cabinet ministers.

This will give him a free hand to induct three new faces to restore caste and regional balance. Also,there will be reshuffling of portfolios of some ministers.

The move is aimed at taking the sting out of the Congress attack on some ministers for corruption and poor performance.

Currently,Dhumal holds half-a-dozen portfolios in addition to Finance and Planning,Home,General Administration,Tourism and Excise and Taxation. After Nadda’s resignation,forest ministry is also handled by the chief minister.

Sources said Dhumal has already held consultations with the party’s central leadership and former chief minister Shanta Kumar about the cabinet expansion.

However,the appointment of the new president of the party’s state unit is holding Dhumal back from finalising the names.

With the incumbent party chief expected to join Dhumal cabinet,the chief minister has proposed Health Minister Rajeev Bindal and Bilaspur MLA Randhir Sharma’s names to head the state unit.

But Shanta Kumar’s objection to it has put the party in a dilemma. The BJP cannot afford to ignore Dhumal’s choice as he has been chosen to lead the party in the next state polls.

The Congress,on its part,has announced plans to gherao Vidhan Sabha on the opening day of monsoon session on the issue of corruption,benami land deals and illegal land transactions involving non-Himachalis.

Last month,the government set up an one-man judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe benami land deals.