Munda expands Cabinet,leaves many unhappy

Das and Neel Kanth were Deputy CM and minister respectively in the previous Shibu Soren government

Munda’s new team seems to have taken caste,sex and regional balance factors into account as two of the three BJP MLAs inducted as ministers belong to the forward caste and tribe,respectively.

Both of them,Satyanand Jha Batul and Vimla Pradhan — who hail from Santhal Pargana and Chotanagpur,respectively — have become ministers for the first time. Pradhan is the sole woman in the Munda cabinet.

The third BJP member in the cabinet,Baidhnath Ram,who was minister in the Soren government,represents the Dalit community from Latehar.

There is criticism that the exercise is aimed at keeping Soren and his son and Deputy CM Hemant in good humour.

Insiders say it was at Sorens’ insistence that Munda retained three JMM MLAs — Hazi Hussain Ansari,Mathura Prasad Mahato and Hemlal Murmu — while giving a berth to their party’s Champai Soren for the first time.

This had left atleast five JMM MLAs,including Simon Marandi and Teklal Mahato,red-faced.

None of them attended the ceremony.

Marandi and Mahato were quite critical of the Sorens and Munda. “We will open our cards when time comes,” said Marandi,echoing the sentiments of Mahato.

The sudden transfer of former Maoist Polus Surin from the high walls of the Khunti jail to the air-conditioned cottage at the state government-run RIMS hospital here on “health grounds” was being described as a move by the Sorens and Munda to appease him since he was considered a Marandi follower.

Two other noteworthy omissions are AJSU’s Uma Kant Rajak and JD(U)’s Sudha Choudhary,who were ministers in the Soren government.

AJSU’s CP Choudhary,brother-in-law of the party chief,and Deputy CM Sudesh Mahato managed to retain their berths.

In place of Sudha,Munda picked JD(U)’s Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter,who defeated Soren senior in the Tamar by-poll last year.

Since the opposition,comprising the Congress and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha,lacked unity and nobody wants to face mid-term elections,there appears to be no threat to the Munda government right now.

Said Munda,who appointed DK Tiwari,an IAS of the 1986-batch as his Principal Secretary: “The people have lots of expectations. We will try to do our best to meet them.”