Chhattisgarh: Baghel inducts 9 ministers, Congress looks at experience before LS polls

Senior party legislators T S Singh Deo and Tamradhwaj Sahu, who were also contenders for the CM post, had taken oath along with Baghel on December 17.

Raipur: Newly sworn-in ministers raise their hands during a group photo session followed by their oath ceremony (PTI Photo)

Experience ruled over fresh faces in Chhattisgarh as nine new ministers took oath Tuesday, taking the number of ministers, including Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, to 12. All nine new ministers are multi-term MLAs, and first-time legislators have been asked to await their chance.

Senior party legislators T S Singh Deo and Tamradhwaj Sahu, who were also contenders for the CM post, had taken oath along with Baghel on December 17.

The Chhattisgarh Cabinet can have 13 ministers at most, including the CM. Speculation is rife that the last slot may be filled in the coming weeks, as several senior MLAs have expressed disappointment at being left out. Caretaker Governor Anandiben Patel issued oath of office to the new ministers during a function held at the Police Parade Ground here. The portfolios are yet to be announced.

Explained

Party bets on the battle-hardened for 11 LS seats

Experience is what stands out in the picks for Bhupesh Baghel’s Cabinet — it does not have a single first-time MLA, and even the youngest is a battle-hardened and second-time legislator in Umesh Patel, son of late state Congress stalwart Nand Kumar Patel. The Congress believes it is this combination that gives the party the best chance of delivering on pre-election promises, and will lead the party in 2019. On the flip side, with 68 MLAs, any Cabinet selection was going to cause heartburn. Perhaps one of the reasons for picking experience is that these ministers have the most local clout — like Kawasi Lakhma — and making them a discontented lot so close to the Lok Sabha polls would not have been wise. For those still unhappy, there may be posts of state commissions.

On Monday evening, Congress general secretary and the party’s Chhattisgarh in-charge, P L Punia, arrived in Raipur with the finalised names, and told reporters that while the decision had been difficult, given the choices of plenty, no first-time MLA had been considered this time.

Spokesperson of Chhattisgarh Congress Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said, “It is clear the government will need experienced hands. We have made promises and intend to fulfill them all, therefore experience will be key. There is an election in six months and we have picked a well-balanced cabinet.”

Among these “experienced hands” is Ravindra Choubey, a seven-time MLA from Saja constituency who has been Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Assembly in the past. Mohammad Akbar, who won by the second biggest margin from former CM Raman Singh’s hometown Kawardha, is a four-time MLA and former minister — he is the only Muslim member in Baghel’s Cabinet.

Second-term MLA Anila Bhendia, who won from Dondilohara (reserved, ST) seat, is the lone woman in the Cabinet.
Shiv Dahariya, working president of Congress’s state unit and MLA from Arang, and Rudra Guru are the two ministers from SC communities, with the party looking to strengthen its position among Dalit voters ahead of 2019 elections.

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Five-time MLA Kawasi Lakhma, who retained Konta seat in Maoist violence-affected Bastar district, is another experienced face in the Cabinet. Umesh Patel, 35, son of Nand Kumar Patel, a former state party chief who was among the Congress leaders killed in a Maoist attack in 2013, is the youth face of the government. Patel defeated collector-turned-BJP candidate O P Choudhary to retain Kharsia seat following a high-voltage campaign.

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